A Mate for a Throne
by writendelete
Summary: When Bonnie Bennett notices the BSB in her loopy handwriting, she cries herself to sleep. When Klaus Mikaelson recognizes the NM on her bronze skin, he gets drunk on Bourbon and paints the whole place red. Bonnie and Klaus discover they are soulmates and try to make the best of it. [KLONNIE]
1. Chapter 1

"I miss you," Klaus confesses; his low and throaty voice barely audible through the steady hum of the air conditioner. Bonnie wonders if she heard him right; the blood rushing through her ears, loud as a thunderstorm.

Bonnie looks down at her hands and realizes she's shaking. This moment, she's imagined this moment for so long and Klaus was saying the right things, and yet she doesn't feel overjoyed or bursting with happiness. As a matter of fact, she barely feels. Standing there, in that fucking place that seems to be taunting her, Bonnie feels numb. Her body is the one that isn't cooperating.

"You left, out of your own volition," Bonnie reminds him, raising her chin and staring at him for the first time since she entered the room. Still blue, with specs of gold. Once reassuring, they now made her feel anxious. "You don't get to miss me. Or look at me with those wide eyes!"

"You once told me you would always love me despite everything. Despite my every mistake. I reckon you were lying when you said that."

Bonnie lets out a chuckle; as bitter as the greenest of the limes. Suddenly she doesn't feel that numb anymore. No, her heart starts beating against her chest and her trembling hands close in a tight fist.

"And you said you would never leave me, remember? It was right after this," she raises her right hand to show the small mark on the inside of her wrist. "You were my mate and you left, Klaus!"

Distraught, Klaus takes large steps until he's right there; close enough to smell her jasmine perfume. He takes both of her wrists in his hands; runs his thumb over her mark. The motion is gentle despite the angry energy surrounding him.

"I'm sorry, love," he whispers, bending down so his lips are scraping the warm skin of her cheek. Bonnie feels her face getting warmer and warmer as a deep blush settles. Displaying a healthy amount if self control, she takes a step back and puts a safe distance in between them. "You consumed my thoughts, my dreams. I could smell your scent on my sheets and could hear your voice if the room was quiet enough. This time away from you was worse than hell."

"Don't talk to me about hell when it was your decision. I begged you to stay, and you didn't care about me or about us!"

Her voice breaks as a sob gets caught up in her throat. Bonnie wants to cry, scream, and sock him on his pretty face, all at the same time. All of the hurt she thought she had gotten over is coming back with a vengeance, washing away all of the protective walls she had built for he own survival. Bonnie thought she could withstand anything, but he's her mate, and she realizes she doesn't really have any defenses when it comes to him. After all, he's her second nature. He's the one who can make he heart beat at a faster pace with one look, calm her down with one grumpy smile. And that's why all of this destroys her.

"You left, Klaus," Bonnie says, ignoring the twinge of pain she feels when he cringes at her using Klaus instead of Nik. He had always been Nik or even Nikki when she was being a little brat who wanted to annoy him. Klaus was reserved to his enemies or strangers and she wasn't either. "So don't tell me you miss me or that you think about me. We could've been happy, but that wasn't enough for you."

Klaus opens his mouth but snaps it shut after a second or so. Bonnie deserved better than having him look in her eyes and lie. Because he would be lying if he denied her accusation. Sure, he loved their life together. He still had dreams of her bronze skin; suntanned and a bit salty from the Indic Ocean water, her bright smile when she awakened him with a kiss.

But not even sun filled vacations in Seychelles were enough to make him forget about a city he built, a city that was supposed to be his. The despair that filled him whenever he imagined someone else in his place soon became too much to bear.

"I'm the king, little witch. We can be happy now. The vampires and the wolves are under my control and I still need to get a grip on the wi-"

"You honestly think I give a fuck about your title? Now that you're the king everything is forgotten?"

"I can't be defeated anymore. I have an army now. Just, come home with me. Be by my side as my queen, Bonnie," Klaus pleads, extending his arms to reach her again. Again, she takes a step back, unwilling to let him get closer.

Their bond may be weakened by their distance, but it's still there. It won't ever go away. Soulmates remain as such until their last breath.

"Remember what I told you that day? You could have me or you could have your city, and you made your decision," Bonnie says with a finality that makes Klaus's chest tighten as if he had thousands of pounds placed over him. "We're done, Klaus."

He runs a hand through his blonde hair, wishes he knew the right words to fix this, to wipe that devastated expression on her face.

"We will never be done, witch. Not while we have this," he tells her; lips curling in a threatening smirk before he can even realize. The bond is the only thing that's stopping him from going out and setting everything on fire.

"The bond will be there, you're right," she nodded, pushing the bangs from her eyes. "But you showed me it's possible not to give a damn to the bond. You broke my heart, but you didn't break me. I will move on some day, and you'll be nothing but a memory and a mark on my wrist."

Bonnie promises and her vision becomes blurry as the tears finally leave her eyes, trickling down her cheeks. That scene, coupled with her words, stirs something inside Klaus. He has to fight the urge to pull her in his arms and tell her he's not letting her go, she's not moving on from him. He stays rooted to his spot, though. Elijah's advice sound in his head. He should respect Bonnie's wishes no matter what. Even when he wants nothing more than chain her to his side and only set her free when she changes her mind.

"This place, I hope you've found what you were looking for, I hope it was all worth it," Bonnie mutters with a forced smile. "Goodbye, Klaus."

She turns around and walks out of the door. Resisting the urge to look back at him and jumping into his arms, Bonnie keeps her head high, and leaves the Abattoir. Another second in that place would suffocate her.

Klaus can do nothing but watch as Bonnie leaves his life, much like he left her a year ago. He wonders if that was how she felt when he didn't choose her; not worthy enough.

Long live the king of New Orleans.

* * *

A/N: This scene just wouldn't leave me, and I had to write it. Sorry for the angst, this is kind of a new universe and I want to write more drabbles to expand on it. Come follow me on tumblr at lilac17! Happy New Year, everyone!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I don't even know what's going on with me, I'm a fluffy writer with the occasional drama. Now I've been bitten by the angst bug. Don't worry, I plan on writing some fluff, but it will probably be for another 'verse. The drabbles will keep coming! Talk to me on tumblr at lilac17! I love discussing fandom and a bunch of other things! I would love to hear what you think of this 'verse. As of right now, there's not a clear plan, so if you have any prompts, i would love to hear them! Happy 2017, guys!**

* * *

Klaus finds it sitting on Rebekah's bed; the cream colored envelope standing out against the navy blue sheets. For some reason, the item seems to call to him, and he takes it, almost as if he's being compelled. His chest constricts when he opens it and sees the elegant cursive words and it almost makes it wonder if someone put a spell on him, if he's a human again.

Bonnie Sheila Bennett is marrying a Edward Cooper Taylor and there's nothing he can do about it.

Because he's addicted to pain just as he's addicted to power, Klaus doesn't slide the invitation back into the envelope and leaves. No, he keeps reading, focusing on every single word.

She's marrying in a month. On a Saturday, at a church back in Virginia. The reception will be held at a country club. He traces the golden letters on the paper, hoping there will be a hidden message somewhere. Perhaps he will find a note from her, pleading him to find her and put a stop to this madness. There is nothing of that sort.

Before Rebekah returns and catches him in this awkward position, Klaus slides the invitation back into its envelopes and heads straight back to his study.

That afternoon is spent with numerous bottles of Bourbon, scotch and even vodka comes in the mix when he runs out of his preferred liquor. He enters an alcoholic haze after draining the fifth bottle; his movements slow and sloppy as he plops down on the leather couch.

" _Nikki?"_ Bonnie's musical voice calls him, and he feels the soft skin of her hands touch his damp face.

Klaus' eyes fly open at that and his heart drops when there's nobody beside him. Hallucinations. That's what the great king of New Orleans has come to.

And the ludicrous thing? Klaus wants to keep hallucinating if that means he will get to see Bonnie. So he welcomes them as he closes his eyes and rests his head.

" _I want a wedding like this," Bonnie says with a small smile as she adjusts the Ray Ban aviators over her eyes to shield them from the sunlight._

" _Like what?" Klaus asks; his eyes still closed. With his head on the comfortable pillow made by her thighs, Klaus has no desire to move an inch._

" _The white sand, the crystalline water and the warm breeze," Bonnie explained, gesturing the absolute beauty right in front of her._

 _It was a sunny day in Seychelles; nothing but blue skies and fluffy white clouds. The palm trees swayed with the gentle breeze._

" _And you won't look so pasty in the pictures."_

" _So you're confident that the potential groom will say yes? Because my sources tell me he might get cold feet and may need some motivation."_

 _Bonnie releases a belly laugh, and bends down to press a kiss on his lips. It's an awkward angle and kisses his nose instead, but neither of them care. Klaus is well on his way of getting drunk on the coconut scent of her braided hair._

 _At this point, he's almost sure he would marry her right there and then if she asked him with that pout of hers. It would be just a formality, of course. His initials, scrawled in his elegant handwriting are branded on the inside of her wrist, just like her initials, loopy and careful, are on his skin. They are soulmates, paired together by a higher mystical force out there. They don't need a wedding or a piece of paper to say they're official._

" _Me in a bikini, that's not enough motivation?" Bonnie wondered; her lips contorting into a pout; the same pout that could make him forget who he was and only focus on her, nothing but her._

" _If it's a delightful piece like this one," Klaus gestures to the tiny pink bikini she's wearing, ignoring the possessive flare that runs through him when he thinks that other people can see her._

" _Nice to know that, Nikki."_

 _He ignores that ridiculous nickname and pushes himself in a sitting position to kiss her._

Hours later, when he wakes up, he fully expects to hear the sound of the waves crashing onto the rocks and chirping birds. His hands reach out to pull Bonnie's body closer to his, but there's only empty space.

She's not there. She's with a Edward Cooper Taylor, planning on becoming his wife.

At least it's not going to be on the white sands of Seychelles. A small consolation prize.


	3. An unusual courtship-part one

The beginning of their courtship is nothing but unusual. Klaus hates that he can't control himself, that most of his thoughts are about Bonnie Bennett, and the way she has the most charming crooked smile and the way she walks with a grace that most seventeen year olds don't possess. Bonnie also hates. She hates that he's a vampire and doesn't understand how her soulmate could be something she grew up despising. She hates that her self control slips when he comes around her.

They both try to fight it. The same day Klaus realized it was his handwriting on her bronze skin, he drove miles and miles to another sleepy town, got drunk on enough Bourbon to stock a bar for a year, and painted the whole place red. When he was done, he was covered by blood (it wasn't the time to be a neat eater) and his thoughts were still consumed by her. What was she doing? Was she alright?

When Bonnie notices the small BSB in that same loopy handwriting that covers the empty pages of her notebooks, her reaction is healthier. She locks herself in her room and sobs herself to sleep, holding onto Miss Cuddles as if her life depended on it. When she wakes up, she has a massive headache and wonders if everything was a horrible nightmare. She then looks down at her wrist and instead of smooth skin, sees the NM in an elegant scribble and loses it all over again; making the furniture shake loudly against the floor, only stopping when Grams wraps her arms around her and whispers soothing words.

Telling his siblings is not something Klaus is anxious to do. Having a seventeen year old witch for a soulmate sounds fucking stupid and he would absolutely laugh in Elijah's face if he said his soulmate couldn't even legally drink. It goes better than he's expected, to their own sake, because he would not hesitate to snap Kol's neck. Elijah, ever the gentleman, clasps a hand on his shoulder and offers him a glass of Cognac, the most expensive bottle they own.

"This is for celebration, Niklaus. Not drowning your sorrows," Elijah reminds him as he fills the crystal tumbler.

Kol smiles when he sees the mark, and laments the loss of his debauchery partner. He could always count on Nik whenever he wanted to go out and ravish a sweet ditzy blonde.

"It's the end of an era, really," Kol comments after a moment of stunned silence. "It will be amusing to see you pine after the little witch."

Rebekah is a different case. After losing her own soulmate, a gentle boy who was her complete opposite, she is hesitant about anything involving soulmates. Nonetheless she swallows her hurt and hugs him.

"Just take care of her, Nik. Because losing her will hurt like a motherfucker," she whispers when they part from their embrace.

Bonnie doesn't have to tell Grams. As always, Sheila Bennett proved to be an all knowing woman who doesn't need Bonnie's confessions to figure out what is going on. She just kisses Bonnie's forehead and tells her everything's going to be okay. Nobody is forced to be with their soulmates, after all.

* * *

Their little gang is a whole different story. Bonnie feels naked when Elena gasps and grabs her wrist to inspect the mark. And that doesn't even compare to the weird reaction that Caroline displays. It's a mix of shock and absolute disbelief as she opens and closes her mouth at least five times.

"Are you sure, Bonnie? Who's to say that's not Nathaniel Matthews?" the blonde asks, eyeing the initials with a suspicious glance.

Needless to say, Bonnie walks out of the Grille after that. Her pillow and Miss Cuddles serve as witnesses to another crying episode when she gets home

* * *

They both accept it, but still try to fight it. Klaus makes himself scarce, spending most of his time travelling and trying to discover something more about hybrids. Bonnie tries her hand at all-star cheerleading, something that's exhausting enough to make her forget about her vampire soulmate and there's no Elena and Caroline around.

This routine lasts about a month or so until he rings her doorbell on a sunny afternoon. There he is; hands stuffed on his pockets and none of the bravado she came to associate with Klaus Mikaelson. As a matter of fact, he looks worried; eyebrows furred as he looked her over.

"Are you okay? I felt _something_ ," he asks, hating himself for being on her doorstep. But the thought of her being hurt just fucked with his head.

Bonnie opens the door all the way and shows him her left ankle and foot in an orthopedic boot.

"I twisted my ankle at practice. It's a hairline fracture, but I'm okay," Bonnie explains, averting his focused gaze.

The awkwardness is palpable as they still don't know how to behave with one another. They know how to be enemies. Bonnie knows at least ten spells that could momentarily incapacitate him and Klaus knows at least fifty moves that could leave her begging for her life.

"You could drink my blood and get rid of this," Klaus offers, pointing to her injured ankle. He feels like a boy asking a girl to his first dance. Just pathetic. If Kol were watching, he would be having the time of his life.

"Thanks, but it would be suspicious if I showed up all healed," she says fiddling with them of her denim shorts.

Klaus gives a stiff nod, barely moving his head. He has nothing else to say and yet it feels like he should say something else. His mind can't think of a single word that would be appropriate for the situation, so he just turns around and enters his car.

Bonnie feels disappointed by that, even though she can't figure why.

* * *

Their next encounter is by accident. Well, almost. Klaus is driving through Mystic Falls when he feels it. Feels her. By now he's learned how to recognize the weird tugging sensation he feels whenever she's close. Ignoring the wise voice in his head, he makes an U-turn and drives straight to the Grille.

As a hotspot for kids that didn't have a better place to be, the Grille is considerably packed. A bunch of teenagers everywhere, but his eyes focus on her right away. Sitting on a booth by herself, Bonnie has her laptop and a plate of cheeseburger and fries in front of her.

"Fancy seeing you here," Klaus says as he approaches her, drawing snickers from her.

"Really? Is that honestly the best you've got? I think a simple hello would suffice," she says; her dimples appearing.

"Okay, then. Hello, nice to see that your two sidekicks decided to let you breathe for the afternoon. Is that better?" Klaus asks with a smirk as he nods to a waiter, who promptly comes by with a glass of Bourbon, his usual order.

Bonnie almost looks impressed, but she's able to hide it. No need to feed his immense ego.

"What is it with vampires and alcoholism? It's kind of sad if you ask me," she comments as he sips the drink.

"If more vampires resorted to alcoholism, the world would be a much safer place to humans. Don't underestimate the power of good liquor."

Bonnie doesn't say anything, but she does wonder what good liquor really is. Everyone at school would probably answer that a cheap vodka tops the list.

"I don't underestimate it, I just don't know it. Underage girl here, remember?"

It's instantaneous. The smirk on his lips is wiped out and he takes on a contemplative expression instead. Bonnie feels insecure and inadequate, which is ridiculous, but she can't help that.

"Does it bother you? That I'm seventeen and you're…" Bonnie asks in a mumble; eyes fixed on the cheesy fries as if something was about to jump out of the plate.

It's awkward town all over again. Klaus doesn't want to lie and say her age is not a factor on how he feels about this, but he also knows she's Bonnie fucking Bennett. She's better than most of the witches he's met in his life.

"I imagine you with a redhead in her thirties. Someone who likes all the weird things you do. Not a teen who spends her weekends at cheer competitions or cramming for a physics test," she mutters the last part; self-deprecation clear in her voice.

"You should call me when you're studying for a test," Klaus says after a pause, not really knowing how to address her other words. "There was a time when I fancied myself a scholar. I can help you."

He leaves a few minutes after, not giving her time to deny or accept his offer. When Bonnie looks down, there's a napkin with his phone number scribbled on it. A part of Bonnie wants to ball it up and trash it. The other is fascinated with his calligraphy, the same that adorns her wrist.

She saves it to her phone as Nikki, just in case one of the girls starts snooping.

* * *

A few days later, Bonnie calls him. The sun is almost down and he was making plans to actively start looking for the stone. He's considering hitting the road to Birmingham just when his phone rings.

"I know you probably have better things to do, but I have a test tomorrow and I'm pretty sure I'm about to bomb it," Bonnie confesses; nibbling on her lower lip and scared he'll say no.

"Okay, witch. What are we studying?" Klaus asks with a smile as he settles on the chair at his study; his plans forgotten.

They talk until midnight; mostly about world history, but also about many other things. He tells her about one of his summers in Barcelona and Bonnie almost feels bad that she can only tell him about skinny dipping at the lake. Unlike the other times, it's not awkward, it's just easy and effortless. Maybe that's why he's her soulmate.

That night, Miss Cuddles is witness to Bonnie falling asleep with a smile on her face.

* * *

The absolute unthinkable happens as Klaus finds himself in a brand new world. He hates it, to be honest. There's people screaming, awful music blasting from the speakers and the whole thing seems pointless to him. Why a human being, as fragile as a crystal glass, would want to be doing all of these movements that were conducive to snapping their necks is beside him. He wishes he could be at home, maybe painting or reading a nice book. Nonetheless he stays and he doesn't regret it. Bonnie may be a tiny thing, but she certainly impresses him with her athletic prowess.

Seeing her like that, looking so confident and powerful stirs something in him, which he ignores because there's a ten year old kid next to him and he doesn't want to deal with the whole 'my soulmate is a seventeen-year-old' anymore.

It's over after two long hours, but the bright smile Bonnie displays when she sees him makes it all worth it.

"What are you doing here?" Bonnie asks when she walks out of the gymnasium; bag slung over her shoulder and sees him waiting there. She reaches out to touch him because she can't believe Niklaus Mikaelson is at a cheer competition.

"I had to come see my girl, show her some support," he answers with a shrug, almost as if he didn't hate every single second of that. Well, every single second she wasn't on the mat.

Besides, Bonnie did spend the week giving him sad puppy eyes because Sheila wouldn't be able to go and those friends of hers were still acting out after learning of the bond. The egocentric part of him likes that he's becoming the one person she can count on.

Even with the sweat covering her face and plastering the flyaways to her forehead, Bonnie can feel herself blushing at being called his girl.

And seeing him there, with his usual dark grey attire and grumpy expression after spending an entire Saturday afternoon around screaming parents and kids, Bonnie realizes that he is her guy.

* * *

A/N: I don't even know it anymore, man. This is so different from my other stories that I'm just confused. There it is, how things started. I love going back and forth on time, so please bear with me. I'm kind of obsessed with this verse right now, so expect updates! A big thank you to everyone who reviewed. Reviews make this author really, really happy!


	4. Setback

Time passes and they settle on a routine. It's easier than Bonnie's ever expected; socializing with Klaus. He can still be asshole, don't get her wrong, but there's something different in him.

On Fridays, he picks her up at cheer practice, acts like a gentleman by opening the car door for her and carrying her heavy bag.

They usually go to a tiny diner; Bonnie orders a peanut butter and bacon cheeseburger that is as delicious as it sounds disgusting, Klaus drinks the scotch and complains about it being bottom shelf. She laughs at his dejected expression while looking at the glass and blushes when she notices him staring at her.

The way his eyes, blue and curious, study her with so much intent make Bonnie feel something unfamiliar.

She feels special.

* * *

If Bonnie could define this whole thing in one word, it would be intense or maybe unavoidable. She keeps that little fact to herself, not telling Elena, Caroline and even Grams, but it gets harder and harder to ignore the gravitational pull of the soulmate bond.

Now that she knows that the little cursive NM belong to an actual person, it's all Bonnie's mind can focus on.

She wants to know where he is at all times, and her chest actually _aches_ when she doesn't talk to him at nights.

It's another ritual of theirs. They text throughout the day and Klaus complains every time she sends him an emoji-only message.

('Words were invented for a reason, love. You should use them,' he would write back in perfect spelling and grammar, which never fails to make her smile.)

And he calls her late in the evenings, when she's already dressed in pajamas and watching reruns of Top Chef.

He asks about her day, and Bonnie thinks he's adorable for feigning interest when she talks about the upcoming cheer competition. The team has a chance to win a bid for Worlds and she's been feeling a lot of pressure after Coach Kay decided to make her center point flyer. He tells her about creating havoc in Victorian England with Kol, and she falls asleep with a smile; his melodic voice acting as a lullaby for her.

* * *

Bonnie's happy. She's not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to the subject of soulmates, but she knows they are a tricky business.

There's the possibility of having someone's soulmark, only to see your soulmate bear another person's initials; having a complete dick for a soulmate, amongst other scary things.

Bonnie's got dealt with the 'dick for a soulmate' card, but they're making it work.

Funny enough, being Klaus' soulmate is not even her biggest problem.

No, what's currently putting a frown on her face is a pretty blonde who goes by the name of Caroline Forbes.

Ever since learning she had Klaus' soul mark and Klaus had hers, Caroline's completely changed her demeanor. At first Bonnie could understand it. She would not know how to act if she found out her best friend is linked to a homicidal vampire who's already tried to kill them.

But now, weeks later, things are still awkward and Bonnie doesn't know what to do. After getting past the shock, both Elena and Matt have gotten used to the idea of Bonnie and Klaus.

Elena's gotten so used to it that she loves to prod her for details, which Bonnie never gives up. Her relationship with Klaus may consist of nothing but soul marks, cheap burger and fries dinners and phone calls about the most ridiculous subjects, but it's hers and she doesn't feel ready to share some details with anyone else.

Caroline, who is the biggest gossip out of them three, remains quiet on the matter. A part of Bonnie feels like a jerk for even considering it **,** but she wonders if Caroline is upset because she wasn't the first one with a soulmate.

Care's always nurtured the fantasy of finding the perfect soulmate at seventeen, getting engaged at twenty two, right after finishing college and then living the happily ever after life.

Perhaps it's hard to see her with a soulmate while her mark still hasn't appeared.

Bonnie tries to ignore it; the way Caroline tries to change the subject every time Elena asks her how everything's going. The way she looks like she's going to throw up when her blue eyes catch the mark on her wrist.

She keeps to herself, only brings up neutral subjects and pretends that she is not hurt by the fact that her best friend can't even pretend to give a shit about her feelings.

* * *

The awkward atmosphere between them comes to a head when the three of them are reunited for a History project.

Their argument starts when Bonnie can't physically hold her tongue anymore. Days and days of trying to keep the peace and ignoring Caroline's bizarre behavior have left Bonnie with zero patience. So she confronts her. Whatever happens has got to be better than walking around on eggshells.

She's so, so wrong that is not even funny.

The moment the words come out of Caroline's lips, Bonnie doesn't know if she wants to throw up or just stay in bed and not leave for a whole week.

" _It happened before I found out. I would never sleep with him knowing he was your soulmate, Bonnie."_

* * *

 **A/N: This chapter snuck out of my control, you guys. The last tidbit kind of happened before I even realized it, but don't worry. This is a Klonnie fic, and I'm not doing a bait and switch!**

 **Sorry for the wait, I was just so busy with college that I couldn't even get the muse to properly function. Now I'm done with school and have all the time in the world to write! I do plan on updating Serendipity and Adventures soon. Please let me know what you think because the muse always works better with feedback!**


	5. in your court

She's at his door, and Klaus knows he is bordering on pathetic when he thinks she looks good there. For a glimmer of a second, he imagines her knocking on his door after a long day, coming in and demanding dinner. His witch is a grump when she's hungry and prone to making speeches on the perils of low blood sugar levels.

But that's not why Bonnie's there. He can tell, just by the way she hugs herself and stares at him with big, green eyes.

Fuck, he doesn't even know what he's done and he feels awful. If only his enemies knew how that teenage witch made him feel. He would be undone in less than five minutes.

"This is certainly a surprise. Bonnie Bennett visiting in my humble abode," he says with a grin and tries to ignore the way his stomach clenches when she doesn't smile.

The cold, November air hits them and he pulls Bonnie inside by the hand. She's wearing dark denim pants (a pair that looks entirely too enticing on her form) and a white light sweater. It's not suitable for the weather, and she might be a witch, but she's also a human. A human who would hate to get sick, considering she has a big competition in two weeks.

"You want anything?" he offers when Bonnie doesn't say anything; considers making her a grilled cheese sandwich and even putting some blueberry jam in it. It is an utter disgrace and doesn't go together at all, but anything to make her smile.

"Yeah, why don't you tell me this really nice story that ends with you and Caroline sleeping together?" Bonnie asks. Her right eyebrow is arched as she waits for an answer.

That explains her attitude and why she's been ignoring his calls for the past day. He sighs, stuffs his hands inside his pockets and tries to figure out what to say.

What was there to say? Caroline Forbes is a pretty seventeen-year-old with blonde hair, bright smile and a way too cheerful attitude, but she's nothing more than that. He slept with Caroline in a regrettable night of weakness, when the _BSB_ on was nothing more than initials on his shoulder and the promise of a future.

He wanted to feel something more than defeat after failing to break the hybrid curse and she looked at him like he was powerful. That night was the result of bottles of Kentucky Bourbon and sore egos.

In his mind, it doesn't hold any importance. He slept with Caroline because she was there, much like he had done in the past. As a matter of fact, he even forgot it because so much happened since then.

Bonnie happened and that was all that mattered to him. Not a night of mediocre sex. But he's not a seventeen-year-old girl who might still equate sex with love or affection. And by the way Bonnie is looking at him, it is obvious she doesn't share his opinion.

"Love," Klaus starts to say, coming closer to her and she flinches. Bonnie looks like a small animal, wounded and scared, and Klaus hates that he was somehow responsible for that.

"Just answer the question," Bonnie mutters, picking lint from the hem of her sweater.

"I didn't say anything because it didn't even cross my mind. Whatever happened didn't factor into my life," he answers and for all of his ability to bend the truth and manipulate, he's being honest.

Caroline Forbes means nothing more than a vague memory of a hazy night. One he already regrets.

"But it factors into mine. You slept with my best friend and made me look like an idiot," she says; her voice almost breaking. "I bet that if I had slept with Kol, this would be a very different conversation."

Klaus knows this is a bait, knows that he shouldn't show any reaction, but his hands close into tight fists before he can help it. The thought of Kol, lips curled in that little smirk of his as he kisses Bonnie's bronze skin and gets a handful of her curls, is enough to make him rage.

"Caroline isn't my soulmate, you are," Klaus says because that's the only thing that matters.

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm sorry you got me instead of the pretty and bubbly blonde," Bonnie mutters and turns around to leave before he can even say anything else.

For the first time in his long life, Niklaus Mikaelson is left speechless; his insides churning as he feels more human than he did hundreds of years ago.

He wonders why people long for the moment the soulmate mark appears on their skin, why they consider it a blessing.

The way he feels right now, the urge to set every single living being on fire and let it all burn, it feels like nothing but a curse.

* * *

Bonnie becomes a master at the ignoring game. It's an art that requires some dedication, but she's managing it.

She ignores Caroline's texts and calls and only hears the first voice mail the blonde's left her.

(I'm sorry, Bon. I didn't know and I didn't tell you because I felt embarrassed, okay? I had just cheated on my boyfriend and started to imagine this alternative reality with a guy who wasn't really interested. And then you found out he was your soulmate and…I don't even know anymore. I'm sorry… I love you, Bon. Call me, okay?)

She cries when she hears Caroline's choked up voice. She also cries because looks in the mirror and doesn't feel good enough.

Klaus is hers, is supposed to be the only thing she has without having to share with Elena and Caroline. He is supposed to be the one who sees her as Bonnie Bennett, not Elena Gilbert and Caroline Forbes' cute-for-a-black-girl friend.

Bonnie felt special when she was around him; when he was telling stories of Marrakech and Istanbul and asking about her, not about her friends.

She liked that; something that was hers and hers only. But no, it seems like she isn't even allowed to be selfish when it comes to her own soulmate.

It hurts when she thinks that once again she won't be enough when compared to Elena and Caroline.

* * *

Klaus gives her space; a decision he makes after going to Rebekah for counsel.

("She's young, hurt and trying to figure everything out, Nik. Even the most resilient of them can break if you push her too much," Rebekah advised, surprised at the look of sorrow on her brother's face.)

It's hard, though. He finds that most of the things around remind him of Bonnie. It's ridiculous because he's known her for a total of six months, and that should not be possible.

He resists the urge to call her one boring night when he's watching tv and sipping Cognac.

(Premium liquor is the sole responsible for keeping him from committing serious havoc, so he consumes it in healthy amounts.)

Her favorite show is on, and he wants to hear her giggle and go on a ten-minute long rant about over-privileged, wealthy women.

* * *

Klaus snaps after five days of silence; gets in his car to drive somewhere (anywhere that doesn't have her scent) and winds up on her doorstep.

As Klaus stares at the white door, he wonders if the soulmate bond can control one's actions. He doesn't even remember how he got there or when he took the turn that led to her neighborhood.

He hesitates; thinks about what Rebekah said, and is afraid of pushing Bonnie until she breaks. Breaking people has become his specialty by now, but he doesn't want to do it to Bonnie. Never Bonnie.

The door opens before he knocks and he doesn't know if he should smile when he sees Bonnie standing right in front of him. Bonnie with her small shorts, oversized sweater with the hoodie over her head and green eyes that widen she sees him there.

They have a silent conversation. Klaus frowns as he reaches for her hand and she relaxes just a tad, accepting the gesture.

"Five minutes," she whispers, and he gives a jerky nod.

"It was never my intention to hurt you," he starts to say with a controlled tone.

"You know you can ignore it? The soulmate bond, I mean. Grams told me," Bonnie tells him as she traces the mark with the pads of her fingers. Klaus tenses the minute she says that. Whatever path this conversation is taking, he doesn't like it.

"What are you-"

"I know I'm not the one you wanted, and probably not the one you're attracted to," Bonnie mumbles, and Klaus is only able to hear her because of his vampire hearing. "We can keep things platonic, but I've been reading blogs and I know what's going to happen."

Every book, every blog online offers the same argument. The pull of the soulmate bond is too strong. If two people have each other's marks, love is pretty much inevitable. It _can_ be avoided but hurts like a motherfucker.

Bonnie figures that any pain is better than falling in love with someone who wishes she was a whole different woman.

Klaus scoffs when he figures out where Bonnie's heading.

No, just no.

"You don't want this?" he asks; his hand tightening around hers.

Bonnie Bennett is his soulmate, and he doesn't want to be away from her and try to quell whatever feeling is brewing inside him.

"I deserve someone who wants me, not someone who puts up with me because of the mark."

Bonnie raises her chin, pretends she's not on the verge of a breakdown. She's basically telling her soulmate he should turn his back and go, and that scares her like hell.

"You sat I am addicted to alcohol, a statement I'm not about to dispute. But you are addicted to television programs with questionable quality and that disgusting cheeseburger that you seem to believe it's food. Not to mention you practice this ridiculous sport and-"

"What's your point?"

"If I was only putting up with you, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't know any of this."

"You wouldn't have looked at me if it wasn't for the mark."

Klaus chuckles at how wrong that statement is. Bonnie Bennett caught his attention the first time he saw her, felt the power coming out of her fingertips. She had him the first time she tried to kill him.

"No, love. My eyes were on you, even when I didn't know you were the one on my shoulder. Caroline was a mistake, one that I regret."

Bonnie nods and crosses her arms as if she's trying to create a shield around herself. This soulmate thing shouldn't be so hard. Grams and her granddad were soulmates and lived together for decades until he passed away. Why can't she skip to the happily ever after?

("If it doesn't hurt, it's not worth it," Grams would say to her every time she caught her crying. Bonnie's started to doubt that theory, but she believes it now.)

"What now?" Bonnie questions because she doesn't even know it herself. Klaus seems to want this with her, whatever _this_ is. But is she ready? Going on these little dates and calling him felt harmless. Knowing they are moving towards something _concrete_ scares the shit out of her.

"Why don't you tell me, witch?"

The ball is in her court now.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you so much for your lovely reviews, bbs! I tried to address some of your questions, but hit me with more! For those who asked, this story is probably going back to the future and then the past. Basic, wherever my muse leads me because she is the one running the show. I hope you enjoy the chapter. Oh, and you can always follow me on tumblr at** lilac17 **. That's where I post previews, my photo edits and inspiration. I always like to talk about fandom and fanfic, amongst other things! Hope to update soon now that I don't have to worry about college for a while.**


	6. need

It's the day before Thanksgiving when Bonnie Bennett realizes she needs Klaus Mikaelson, that he's more than the man whose initials are etched on her skin.

It doesn't happen overnight. After the whole Klaus-sleeping-with- Caroline fiasco and their subsequent conversation, Bonnie tried to cool that relationship. The soulmate bond is inexplicable-not even the brightest scholars and scientists can properly explain how it happens and its effects on people- and Bonnie doesn't want to get caught up in it. It's easy to let all of the soulmate feelings take over her and ignore everything else. She wants to guard herself and her feelings while she still can; before she reaches the point of no return.

So the daily, hour-long phone calls in the evening stop. She misses them, misses talking about ordinary stuff, like baking red velvet cupcakes and cheer practice.

She misses him, but only realizes how much she needs him when she's in a hospital, in the neighboring town that's twenty minutes away from Mystic Falls.

* * *

It starts with Grams and her baking pies in Grams' cramped kitchen. Thanksgiving is a tradition for them, one that started the year after Abby left town, never to be seen again.

They are laughing; Hall and Oats filling the room, as they roll out the dough and discuss pie fillings. Bonnie is a fan of pecan pie and Sheila can't stand anything other than pumpkin.

Everything happens so fast that Bonnie is left with whiplash. One minute she's wiping flour off Grams' cheek as they laugh and the next Grams is holding her chest, gasping for air before sliding to the floor.

* * *

The hospital is white, cold and sterile. It's as depressing as one may expect, considering it's the day before Thanksgiving and all of the happy people are home, getting ready to celebrate.

One of the nurses takes pity on her and the fact that she's a sobbing teenager on a hospital's waiting room all by herself – her dad is stuck in Portland after a freak snowstorm and doesn't know when he'll be able to get home.

She gets Bonnie a cup of coffee, sneaks a peek of Grams' chart and tries to comfort her.

("The doctor will talk to you soon, but your grandma will be okay, honey. You don't have to worry. Maybe you should call someone to keep you company.")

Bonnie spares a smile as she wipes her tears and tries not to cry even harder. Her trembling fingers move to the N contacts before she finally presses _call._

The relief Bonnie feels when she hears his voice is palpable.

* * *

It's a special kind of hell. Perhaps it's purgatory, to sit there and not be close to her, not know what she's thinking or feeling. Perhaps this is the exact reason why he never wanted a soulmate, even if the rest of the world believed that having a soulmate was a blessing.

His sour mood lasts for days and days, gets worse when evening comes and she doesn't call him. He feels pathetic that everything bothers him so much and he can't hide it.

("I know I said I would enjoy watching you mope, but even this is too much, Nik," Kol says, smirking when Klaus drops the paintbrush and glares at him.

"Let our brother be, Kol," Elijah admonishes as he enters the study and tries to hide his grin. "He is not used to all of these…human feelings.")

The phone rings and he knows it's Bonnie before he answers. It's been a month or so, but he can already feel her, and it's oh, so comforting.

"Hey, it's me," Bonnie says; her voice small as she takes deep breaths. Klaus frowns. This is not her usual self. "I know I haven't called you in a while, but I need a favor."

"Anything," he offers without a shadow of hesitation. He knows it's no use trying to deny it, there's not much he wouldn't do for her.

This type of devotion is unfamiliar to him. Selflessness is not a trait he admires, and yet…he can't help it.

She calls him and he doesn't just walk, he runs.

* * *

Perhaps it's the soulmate bond acting in a way he doesn't understand, but Klaus finds it quite easy to take care of Bonnie. It's instinctive and he doesn't even have to think about it.

One look at Bonnie- fragile, crying Bonnie- and he takes over. He does everything one should do in that kind of situation, even though he isn't quite enlightened when it comes to hospitals. He never had much use for them, given that he is a hybrid.

However, Klaus is smart enough to know the steps he should take to ensure his little witch feels better. So, he wipes her tears and compels a doctor into giving him some medical information regarding Sheila's state (they still need to run some more tests, but Sheila seems to be responding well to the medication.)

When one of the nurses comes up to them and says they should go home for the night, Klaus wraps an arm around her waist. Leads her to his car and drives her home.

Even after they get to her house, Klaus doesn't leave. Bonnie is still catatonic, still in shock from the traumatic events of the day, and there's no way in hell he will leave her alone.

"Tell me what you need, love," he murmurs against her damp hair when they're sitting on the couch; her back resting against his chest in the most intimate position they've ever been.

Part of Klaus is exhilarated he gets to breathe her in after days of almost no contact. A rather small, nearly insignificant part of him feels like he's taking advantage of Bonnie in her sensitive state.

"Just stay with me, please," she whispered, resting her head on him.

"I'm here," he assures Bonnie, wrapping his arms around her waist as if she is a fragile thong that could break at any moment.

The steady rhythm of her heartbeat is more satisfying to him than a warm trickle of blood straight from the femoral artery.

* * *

When Bonnie wakes up in the next morning, she has to rub her eyes for a good thirty seconds before she understands what's going on. Klaus is standing in her kitchen; his eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he mixed the sugar with butter. Wearing all black, he looked out of place in her tiny kitchen. Bonnie wonders if all of the stress is triggering some kind of hallucination.

"Good morning, love," he greets her as if nothing weird is happening; as if he isn't cooking in her kitchen like a good husband or something of the sort.

Out of all the possible scenarios involving her and Klaus, him in the kitchen; a patch of white flour staining his black Henley, ranks as dead last.

"Are you cooking? Did I take a pill or something?"

"As far as I know you are stone cold sober, love. And your eyes are not deceiving you," he says with a small grin; pleased that she's surprised. "It is one of America's favorite holidays, after all, and a little witch could not stop talking about pie even in her sleep."

"So you're baking pies? How do you even know how to do that?"

"I've lived for a thousand years, Bonnie. You would be surprised with everything I've learned."

Bonnie can't help blushing when he _winks_ at her; when she realizes he probably spent the night. A warm sensation goes through her when she remembers him carrying her upstairs and placing her in bed.

"You stayed," she murmurs, taking small steps towards him, still a little self-conscious that she's wearing ratty pajama bottoms and an oversized t-shirt.

"I stayed."

He nods; eyes focused on her as she approaches him. It's almost like a magnetic force is pushing them close together.

In that moment, Bonnie disregards her fears of losing herself in this bond, disregards her previous wishes of keeping it platonic for now. She does the only thing that feels right. Gets on the tips of her toes and kisses him. Closes her eyes and presses her chapped lips against his for a few seconds.

"Thank you," she whispers against the stubble on his cheek, stares up at him with wide eyes as if she's surprised by her own actions.

"I promised, didn't I?" Klaus says, trying not to lean forward and kiss her again. When it comes to Bonnie Bennett, his self-control is proving to be rather tenuous. "There will be no broken promises between us, love."

* * *

 **A/N: Look at that feel good chapter! Enjoy it, because I plan on writing an angsty one next time!**

 **Thank you for all of your reviews and your support! I may love writing, but trust me when I say your reviews give my muse some serious fuel. I plan on banging out the next chapter real soon, and then focus on my other story because I want to finish that sucker! Come talk to me on tumblr at** lilac17 **and see my edits and the Klonnie mood boards I make for inspiration! Hope to update soon!**


	7. about last night

He seeks her out, despite what Rebekah and Elijah say. It's not hard to find her, even though their only face to face interaction was that disastrous talk months ago. The pull of the soulmate bond is strong enough that he can just get into the car and drive until he gets somewhere close to her.

He doesn't expect that somewhere to be the trendy club located in the basement of a boutique hotel in West Village, with loud, insufferable noise that tries to pass itself as music and annoying flashlights that would give him a headache if he was a human.

Nevertheless, she is there and looking so exquisite in her red dress, Klaus has to will his body into inaction. He has to still his legs so he doesn't mow down the throng of dancing people to get to her; to take her into his arms and prevent her from making a thoughtless decision.

So he stays at the bar- the only redeemable feature in the damn place- and compels the charming bartender into leaving the Wild Turkey bottle near him and admires his soulmate from afar.

Bonnie's on the corner of the room with Elena and Caroline. The three of them are nothing but bright smiles and laughs; their youthful expressions showing unabashed happiness. A second passes and he feels something in the pit of his stomach. Is it guilt? No, perhaps it's the blow of seeing her after so long. Her hair is shorter now; brushing her shoulders every time she throws her head back in a laugh. She looks quite different from the witch in high school who was learning to control her powers, who had a truly atrocious palate.

The Bonnie in front of him, wearing a ridiculous glittery crown, seems to be a faint version of his girl.

"Since we're being classy now, let's have champagne for the future Ms. Teddy Taylor!" Caroline cries out as she hands Elena and Bonnie two flutes filled with bubbly champagne. The three of them clink glasses as they laugh.

Klaus can't help scoffing as he hears Bonnie's future name. It sounds provincial and wrong.

"One week to go, Bon! How do you feel?" Elena asks as she switches from champagne to tequila.

"No complaints," Bonnie answers. Her voice is neutral, but she keeps that bright smile on her face.

The thought of Bonnie marrying someone else in a week is sickening, but Klaus knows he has a chance. If she feels even a fraction of what he feels, he knows they're far from over.

* * *

"Fancy seeing you here. You know, I've been told that's a cliché, but I see it as a classic."

Bonnie freezes when she hears that voice. The same voice that appears in her dreams (or nightmares) from time to time. The same voice she hasn't heard in months. The voice belonging to Klaus Mikaelson, who should definitely not be here.

Still in shock, Bonnie is taken back to that moment in the Grille, ten years ago, when they first talked to each after learning they were soulmates.

Back then, she was a seventeen-year-old girl learning how to deal with a narcissistic vampire soulmate, and everything was much simpler.

"What are you doing here?" Bonnie demands to know, dragging him to the secluded hallway. Caroline and Elena might be on their way to becoming as drunk as possible for a vampire, but Bonnie can't risk having them see him.

"This is such a joyous occasion," he says; a white pearly smile on his lips as he plays with the plastic crown on her head. Bonnie is reminded of a shark that's ready to attack. Or maybe a wolf that wants to toy with his prey before delivering the first blow. "I figured I should come to personally congratulate you, seeing as we're _intimate_ friends."

The way he says intimate sends a shiver down her spine and Bonnie sways in her sky-high Louboutins for a second. She recovers when she sees his smug grin, and remembers why they are not friends.

They are way past the point of friendship. Bonnie simply doesn't know how to be friends with Klaus anymore. Years ago, she told him they should keep things platonic, but both of them threw that out the window. Now she can't go back.

"Are you still keeping tabs on me? Oh, please. Your minions aren't as stealthy as you think they are. They would suck as secret service."

Klaus throws his head back and chuckles. It's been so long since she last saw him laugh that Bonnie gets a little hypnotized. She forgot how handsome he really is. The pictures she still keeps of him, hidden in a secret drawer, don't do him justice.

"If you must know, I haven't asked any of my men for your whereabouts this evening," he answers, getting one step closer and holding both of her wrists with his hands. "I found you all on my own. Remember when I said we would always be linked?"

The pads of his fingers rub her mark, and he looks dejected when he notices she's tried to hide it with a bracelet.

"Why bother coming to New York? What do you want?" Bonnie asks, attempting to free her hands, but not putting much of an effort. The bond is still doing its job. Bonnie doesn't want to get away.

The rational side of her does. But the part that controls her body, her actions, stays rooted to that spot on the ground.

"I want to prevent you from making a sorry decision. Isn't this what friends do?"

"And what decision is that, huh?" Bonnie mumbles and lets out a sigh. "You know what, don't answer that. Just go back to New Orleans, Klaus. Let's forget this happened."

He doesn't listen to her. Of course he doesn't. Instead of turning his back and leaving, he comes closer; invades her personal space.

"Do you want me to forget you, love?" he wonders. His breath tickles the skin of her neck and once again, she's reduced to shivers. "You want to forget me, but you know that's not possible."

Bonnie doesn't say anything because she knows he's right. Even after so long, she still thinks about him, wonders what could have been. She remembers their time, and even feels the urge to call him sometimes.

"What do you want?" Bonnie asks again. Breathing in his cologne, she feels like she's suffocating. The memories come back, barreling through her.

"Have a drink with me, for old time's sake," he offers and she nods, despite her better judgment. Bonnie knows she's walking a tightrope, knows the only acceptable answer in this situation is walking away, but she can't help it.

"One drink." Bonnie agrees.

* * *

They leave the club-Bonnie makes sure there's a town car ready to take the girls back to their hotel because she's not a shitty friend- and go to another bar in the Village.

Unlike the club, this place didn't have blaring music or sweaty people grinding against each other. A jazz band is playing, accompanied by a black woman who sounds as amazing as Etta James.

As soon as Bonnie steps foot in there, she knows why he brought her there.

This feels exactly like old times. When they would go out to obscure places like this instead of fancy, three Michelin stars restaurants.

("This is the third time in two weeks we come here, Nik. Are you cheating on me with the singer?" Bonnie asked with a smile as she sipped on her favorite drink.

"You know I'm a patron of the arts, love."

"Just don't tell me you've become one of those white guys who thinks they're about to save jazz. That shit is straight up disrespectful.")

And just like in old times, they sit in a cramped booth; their legs rubbing against one another and closer than they've ever been in more than a year.

Bonnie sips on her vodka tonic as he drinks Bourbon and they talk. It's all so comfortable and familiar that Bonnie wonders why she thought being close to him was a bad idea. Maybe she was wrong, after all. Maybe they can have a platonic relationship.

"I miss this," she confesses after the third glass of vodka tonic. She's not drunk, just a little tipsy. Their proximity is the culprit for her clouded judgment, not the alcohol.

"There is not a day I don't think about you," he says, and Bonnie feels her cheeks burning as she blushes.

This is not the first time she's heard these words come out of his lips, but he always seemed to say them as a desperate tactic. Now, he seems honest, seems open.

"I think about you, too," Bonnie admits as she finishes her drinks. "But then I also know our time is over."

He gets even closer, something Bonnie didn't think was possible. Their faces are inches apart and Bonnie knows it's only a matter of time before _something_ happens.

"I need to go, Klaus," she whispers and tries not to notice the way he's staring at her lips.

"Nik. You call me Nik, or Nikki when you want to be a brat and get on my last nerve. You never call me Klaus."

"Nik," Bonnie breathes out; her voice barely audible with the saxophone melody reverberating through the room. "I need to-"

He closes the distance between them before she can finish her sentence. Bonnie can't even fight it, she just melts against him and kisses him back.

"Come home with me," he suggests, keeping their lips only inches apart as if he was afraid to put more distance in between them.

"Home?" Bonnie repeats the word. Her brain shut down the moment he nipped her bottom lip, a move that always gets her.

To be honest, she isn't really thinking anymore. Not with her brain. Bonnie can only focus on how long it's been since she last slept with Klaus. It probably makes her a bad person, but she wants to do it again.

Fuck, all of the feelings she's buried and ignored are coming back to the surface. A kiss and her heart is beating erratically, her palms are sweating. He makes her feel like she's seventeen again, and not a twenty-seven woman about to walk the aisle in a week.

Twenty-seven-year-old Bonnie knows she should say no, get a cab and never talk to him again. She knows she should focus on her rapidly approaching wedding, on becoming Teddy's wife.

Seventeen-year-old Bonnie doesn't care. She wants to make out with Klaus in that jazz bar. She wants to go home -wherever that is- with him.

Seventeen-year-old Bonnie wins.

* * *

When they leave the bar two hours later, it's three in the morning. Klaus' lips are tinted dark red from Bonnie's Chanel lipstick and Bonnie a so lightheaded with happiness that she has to hold on to him so she doesn't sprain her ankle.

* * *

He doesn't plan it. Just like he didn't plan on going to New York, walking towards their old loft in Tribeca just happens. Before he can realize it, they're standing in front of the building.

The surprised look on her face is enough for him to silently thank his instincts.

"Oh, my God. You kept it?" she gasps out; legs trembling and feet uncertain on the pavement as he pulls her inside.

The two bedroom with a view was their first home together. He can still remember when they first moved in. Bonnie was a freshman at NYU and he decided he would try to live the simple life as an artist. They would cook together-Bonnie was a disaster when it came to the culinary arts, so he had to put a good amount of effort to guide her in the kitchen- drink, laugh, have sex until the wee hours of the morning.

They were happy there. His sentimentalism didn't allow him to part with the property. Any of them. The loft in New York and the townhouse in Charleston were still in her name, furnished and fully equipped. Just waiting for her to come back.

It's exactly how he remembers. Dark hardwood floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, his paintings hanging on the walls, some of their pictures on the mantle.

"Why did you keep it?"

Her voice pulls him away from his nostalgic reverie. He turns away from the windows and looks at her. Not even Manhattan's skyline can surpass her beauty.

"This is your home, love. I could never part with it," he explains, wrapping his arms around her waist. Her hair still smells like apple cider, and her skin is still soft. If he closed his eyes, his mind would still believe not one year has passed since the last time they were there.

She initiates the kiss this time. Places her splayed hands on his shoulders and pushes his leather jacket off him.

He wants to be the noble gentleman, but his control is precarious at the moment. Especially when he feels her lips on his collarbone, her fingers toying with the buttons of his shirt.

* * *

Bonnie Bennett's a siren, Klaus is sure of that. The witch is a siren clothed in red who plots his downfall. His everlasting, sweet downfall that smells of apple cider, that it's as soft as the shea butter she uses on her bronze skin.

She moves ever so slowly, enticing him with each step she takes. His patience, mixed with his anxiety to have her, grows thinner the second she's not in bed with him. Her red silk dress pools on her feet and her tiny champagne colored matching lingerie set is exposed.

"You are beautiful, love," he murmurs; pads of his fingers tracing her spine. She shivers and breathes out a delicious moan. It's quiet, soft. Just like her.

He undoes the small clasp of his bra. Lays her on the Egyptian cotton white sheets. Places open-mouthed kisses all over her body. Slides the scrap of silk she calls panties down her legs. Pulls two orgasms from her with his mouth and fingers, and feels even more powerful as her quiet whining becomes more vociferous by the second. He's missed being between her legs, missed the taste on her skin.

It might be the most unimaginative description, but he feels like he's home when he enters her. Her long nails scratch his flesh as he revels in her groans and whimpers.

The pale moonlight bathes them when they finally reach the end; a wave of pleasure barreling through with no mercy. A growl, deep and animalistic, comes out with his last thrust. It is the full moon, after all. He is about to move, but she holds him in place with her thighs.

"Stay here," Bonnie whispers before pulling him down for a kiss. It's messy. Both of them are still trembling from the aftereffects. "Stay close to me."

He remembers the first time she said that to him; almost ten years ago. His answer remains the same.

"I'm here."

* * *

Morning comes much too quickly in Klaus' opinion. He wants more time to enjoy Bonnie's presence and knows that daylight with thwart all of the delicious plans he has in mind. With the sun up in the sky, they will need to partake in a serious conversation.

"Nik? What are you doing?" Bonnie asks, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as she sits up.

He smiles and reaches for the item he placed on the nightstand earlier when she was still sleeping.

With a kiss on her temple, he places the little velvet box on her lap. The same little box he's kept for years after Bonnie threw it back at him. The same little box he gifted her when he announced his move to New Orleans.

"I believe you're its rightful owner."

* * *

There's something sordid about being handed an engagement ring by her soulmate when her other engagement ring sits on the nightstand. Her being naked and getting married in a week doesn't help either.

As Bonnie stares at the familiar ring- rose gold band with a cushion cut diamond stone- she wonders when she got so fucked up. Rational Bonnie would not cheat on her fiancé during her bachelorette party, not even with her soulmate. And rational Bonnie would definitely not be considering calling off the wedding a week before the ceremony.

What was happening to her? Was this the power of the soulmate bond? No, it can't be that strong. None of the stories she's heard made the bond sound so dramatic and inevitable. Other people were able to get over their soulmates. It took time and a world of hurt, but they have done it.

Almost two years apart, a broken heart, and she is actually thinking about returning her custom made Vera Wang dress after an escapade in their loft.

"This rings belongs on your finger, love."

"Nik…" she murmurs; eyes still studying the ring. It's perfect. She didn't notice it years ago but she sure notices it now. "I-"

Words are stuck in her throat. She's good as paralyzed.

"Say yes and we'll be on the first plane to New Orleans. You'll be able to forget this pathetic little life you've been living with these humans and take your rightful place by my side as Queen."

"Did you really just say that?" Bonnie asks, her voice a weird mixture of a hiss and a growl. His eyebrows raise in confusion at her reaction.

Stupid. Foolish. Naïve. All of these words can be used to describe her right now.

One look at Klaus and Bonnie realizes he genuinely doesn't understand why she's not swooning with happiness. This is the same shit that happened fifteen months ago, and somehow she believed he's changed his mind. He hasn't and he probably wouldn't.

Klaus Mikaelson revels in the supernatural world, in the treachery that surrounds it, the danger and the power.

"You're a witch, love. Don't you think it's time to live like the powerful creature you are? You try to run from your true destiny. Why? You're far too magnificent to spend your time writing articles for a magazine and taking orders from a pitiful human."

Klaus' voice is soft as he caresses her cheek with the back of his hand. Bonnie turns her face, feels her heart break once more with his words.

"I fooled myself into thinking this could be different," Bonnie murmurs to herself, getting up. Still naked, she rummages through the pile of clothes on the armchair, looking for hers. "This life in New Orleans is your dream, Nik."

Bonnie slips into the dress. In the sunlight, the red article of clothing looks somewhat vulgar. What a walk of shame this will be.

"A dream of us together, safe in the city I've built. You condemn me for wanting that?"

"No more than you condemn me for wanting a quiet life," Bonnie says; head down in defeat.

They might be soulmates, but perhaps they are not meant to be. For years, Bonnie's believed their differences was what pushed them together. Now, those differences are too much to bear.

Her definition of happiness is coming home to him after a long day. Drinking sangria and skinny dipping when it's summer. Making spiced hot chocolate and watching him paint when it's winter.

His definition of happiness is them together as they rule over New Orleans and slaughter enemies.

"I love you and will love you until I die, but we can't be together."

* * *

Klaus wonders how one can go from being drunk on exhilaration and then sink into the inmost despair in less than five minutes.

He had Bonnie. His life would finally return to normalcy after so long. Now everything is slipping from his hands and he can't stop it.

His chest tightens when he sees her taking the ring- _his_ ring, a gaudy object that exhibited no taste whatsoever- and slide it back on her finger.

"After everything, you'll go back to _him_?" Klaus asks, not able to mask the disgust in his voice. "And yet you claim you love me."

"We've been together for years, Nik," she walks closer, makes a move to touch him and hesitates. He wants to be furious at her, but she's suffering too. "I don't know what it's like not to love you, but I want to be happy. And I want you to be happy."

"You exchanging vows with another man will not make me happy, Bonnie."

"Neither will the townhouse in Charleston and vacationing in the Maldives or Seychelles," she whispers, and finally closes the distance between them. "I was hurt when you left me, but now I know I can't expect you to want the same things I do."

"Love…"

"You love New Orleans and everything that comes with it. Our life in Charleston was killing you."

As much as he wants to deny, to say that life with her could never feel dull, but she's right. After years of domestic bliss, he was left itching for his old life back.

Klaus closes his eyes and feels her lips on his forehead. Tears trail down his cheeks as he wraps his arms around her.

"I love you, Nik. Never doubt that."

"I have no doubt you will make the most stunning bride, love."

The smile she gives him doesn't reach her eyes. She seems as mournful as he feels. Out of all the scenarios, this was the one he did not ever envision. The one with the ability to hurt him the most.

She wipes his tears. Just like she did the day he first told her the abuse he suffered at Mikael's hand. There's no judgment in her.

"Stay safe, Nik. I would hate to hear that you got killed."

Despite everything, he finds the strength to snicker.

"You seem to have forgotten that your soulmate is the most powerful creature in the supernatural world," he reminds her, pulling her wrist to kiss the mark. "I am not one for clichés, but you are and will forever be the love of my eternal life."

"You're the love of my life, Niklaus Mikaelson."

Once again, he watches her leave. As he toys with the ring- custom made just for her- he can't help but feel empty inside.

For he knows he's just lost the most important part of his being.

* * *

 **A/N: Here I am again! I got bitten by the inspiration bug and couldn't stop writing.**

 **Something about this verse keeps me really inspired, and so do your lovely reviews! Thank you, everyone, for the feedback!**

 **And sorry for the angst, please don't hate me for it! Both Bonnie and Klaus are complicated people thrown together in a complicated arrangement, so I didn't think it was possible to have them be together in an easy path. but hey, if it doesn't hurt, it's not worth it. To soften the blow, I threw a little lime in.**

 **This is not the end of Klonnie, I kinda have something in my head, but I don't know if it will be too crazy, so I'll probably wait a little.**

 **I'd love to know what you think about the chapter, and I'm open to prompts.**


	8. is it an unbreakable bond?

The morning after Bonnie Bennett ditches her own bachelorette party and has sex with her soulmate, she performs her own version of a walk of shame. It barely qualifies as a walk, considering she throws herself in the first cab she sees. The shame part is covered when a couple with a small kid stares at her outfit- a dark red Marchesa mini dress- with wide eyes.

When she gets back to the hotel room – an expensive suite with a living room and two separate bedrooms, thank God- Bonnie sighs in relief. Caroline and Elena, after draining thousands of dollars in prime booze, are still passed out will probably be nursing a hangover until they feed. For the first time, she's grateful for their alcohol abuse.

She takes a shower, a long one. Dries up the bottle of the fancy orange zest shower gel the hotel provides as she tries to scrub Klaus' smell from her skin. If she can still pick up his scent- a distinctive combination of sandalwood and citric notes- her two vampires BFFs will sniff it in a second, flat.

She lays on the king sized bed, closes her eyes and tries to sleep. It doesn't work, of course.

The memories of her and Klaus- close together, kissing, laughing, being- haunt her every single time she closes her eyes.

* * *

With a herculean effort, Klaus resists the temptation that a bottle of absinthe – nestled in between the Cognac and scotch- poses. While the thought of being transported into a fantasy reality (la fille verte is the one liquor that can easily knock them down) sounds just lovely, he wants to leave this place and leave the memories behind. Each second he's there he is reminded of Bonnie in some way.

He gets in the car and leaves. The memories, however, stay with him.

It is almost amusing. He's lived for a thousand years without knowing Bonnie Bennett, and yet, as he drives back to New Orleans, he can't conjure a single memory that doesn't involve her somehow.

Somewhere along the way, Klaus takes an unplanned detour. He only notices when he sees the Welcome to South Carolina- the Palmetto state sign. A combination of a sigh and a snort leaves his lips as he makes the familiar drive to the familiar place.

He hesitates for a moment, though. Part of him wants to take the nearest return exit and keep going; only stop when he gets to the safe haven that is New Orleans.

The other just wants to have a rare moment of weakness and allow himself to be consumed by the memories.

He might be the Original hybrid, the king of New Orleans, but he's also a man who has realized his soulmate is gone.

Wishing nothing more than time to lick his wounds, Klaus drives until he gets to the quiet street in downtown Charleston and sees that pink door.

* * *

One should probably not feel like a sack of lying shit, to put it nicely, in their last wedding dress fitting. Especially when the dress is a custom-made piece, organza and Chantilly lace with every detail designed according to her wants and wishes.

Bonnie knows she should feel like a princess when the seamstress places the veil over her head, but all she can do is sink her nails into the palm of her hands and hold back tears.

 _You look beautiful, such a fairytale,_ all of them coo, also misty eyed. Caroline squeals in excitement as she examines every detail of the bodice; Elena gives her a reassuring smile; Grams wipes a tear, as does Helen – Teddy's mom.

Bonnie looks at her reflection in the mirror. Even though she has small dark circles under her eyes, she does look beautiful.

Bonnie gives them a small smile, does a little twirl in the mermaid gown.

 _Beautiful and undeserving_ , a voice in Bonnie's mind reminds her.

The smile vanishes.

* * *

 _I already feel like you're my wife, but they insist on paying for this shindig, so let's make the most of it. See you on the aisle, I'll probably be the guy bawling his eyes out. Love you, sweets._

 _Teddy_

Bonnie smiles as she reads the note Teddy sneaked into the bouquet of orange tulips, one of her favorite flowers.

After two days of deep pondering, writing out lists of pros and cons, and studying what she really wants for the next years in her adult life, Bonnie's decided to put her night with Klaus in the rearview mirror.

It makes her ache on the inside with sorrow when she thinks about Klaus, the bittersweet memories of their time together and what could have been. As soulmates, they could have had the happiest, most delirious life together. And that possibility still has the power to allure Bonnie. A fraction of Bonnie Bennett still wants to try no matter what. But that fraction is drowned out by the adult Bonnie.

And this Bonnie knows she doesn't want to have anything to do with whatever is going on in New Orleans. She knows she wants to live her life without having to conjure a multitude of plans to defeat their enemies. She doesn't want to be concerned with some madman draining her powers as a way to enact revenge on Klaus.

Besides, she loves Teddy. At first, when they first started dating, everyone believed he was a rebound, that she was trying to get over Klaus by getting with his exact opposite.

Of course, Teddy's lack of supernatural knowledge helped. But soon it became way more than that. Underneath his playful, sometimes sarcastic exterior, Teddy's shown himself to be kind, loving and so understanding.

Bonnie still remembers the day she showed him the mark, filled with trepidation and anxiety. There was still so much misinformation about soulmates that many people without the marks refused to date those who had it. It was somewhat understandable. Falling in love, only to see that person slip away to live a life with their soulmate must hurt like a mother fucker.

("I lied, Teddy," Bonnie whispers as she unclasps the white gold bracelet she's been wearing for the past weeks. The NM on her wrist is now obvious and his eyes widen for a quick second when he sees it. "His name is Niklaus Mikaelson. We were together for the past eight years or so, but it's all over between us."

"Bonnie..."

"I didn't mean to lie to you, but this, us, I didn't want it to end," she tries to explain, but it comes out as a rushed string of sentences that's not exactly intelligible.

"Here," Teddy says taking her hand as he undoes the first three buttons of his crisp white shirt. Bonnie raises an eyebrow, at first in question, but then in utter surprise when she sees it, feels it. The mark on his pale skin, just below his left pec is different from hers. Etched in a faint, brownish ink, the initials on him have left a thin scar. "She died when we were nineteen, two years after we met. Car accident."

"You had a soulmate," she breathes out as the pads of her fingers touch the slightly raised skin, feels the muscles rippling and his heart beating.

"Everyone said I would feel numb for the rest of my life. I don't anymore."

Bonnie relaxes, releasing a breath she's been holding ever since seeing his mark.

"Everyone's got a past. Having a mark doesn't mean shit in the end. If you want to be with me, then that's it," he says in his usual gruff way that doesn't match his lawyer persona at all. "Do you want to be with me, sweets?"

Bonnie tries to imagine her life without him. She can't.

"I do."

Less than a year later, Bonnie's uttering the same words to a different question.)

The thought of letting go of Teddy and their life together makes her sick.

That makes her decision a whole lot easier.

* * *

"So far you've managed to recount with great detail all of your days in Vienna before World War I," Camille says with a frustrated sigh as she looks down her note and confirms that yes, he's spent the last thirty minutes discussing his time in Austria.

"Why, Camille, am I boring you with my stories?" Klaus asks with a grin; crossing his legs at the ankles. "I thought you would be delighted at the chance of picking my brain."

"Oh, I am very excited that you decided to stop messing with my head, but why do you want a psychologist if you're not willing to talk about your issues?"

"What shall we start with? A father who hates me? Perhaps Marcel, my own son, who is currently stationed at the Algiers because he doesn't want to listen to my command, is a more compelling subject."

"How about your soulmate?" Cami suggests as she knows she's struck a cord when he stiffens. It's just for a second, but she's learned how to read him after their little sessions. "I remember some of what you said, but not much. What's her name? Bianca?"

"Her name is Bonnie Bennett."

"Why don't we talk about Bonnie, then?"

"What would you like to know? Our star-crossed lovers' story? Perhaps the tale of how a witch and a vampire came to be?" he asks, an anxious feeling settling on his stomach as he begins to question the whole idea of therapy.

Perhaps he should've stayed with his very effective strategy. Have Camille type his memoirs, compel her to forget everything and send her on her way.

"You're defensive over this. I may not have your vampire heightened senses, but I do know how to read people," Cami points out. "You talk about Mikael and Marcel and it's nothing, but the minute I say her name you have a reaction."

"I am not defensive, merely careful with whom I share this sensitive information."

The blonde looks at Klaus. Hard eyes, set jaw. She would not be able to get this out of him as easily as she thought. At first, she believed he would be willing to open up, considering his actions in the past. Nope, this will have to be slow and careful.

"Okay, let me ask you something. You knocked on my door and said you wanted a real therapist, not a compelled sounding board. Why?"

Klaus wants to say he's exhausted. His feelings, his memories weigh down on him in a way they've never had before. There's a lot he wants to say, but nothing of the sort comes out.

"I figured I would finally bite the bullet and see why millions of Americans enjoy therapy so much."

Cami sighs in frustration as she resists the urge to chew on her pen, an anxious habit she picked up in college.

She can see it on his face, on his body. Klaus has never looked this conflicted and, dare she say, vulnerable. As if he's been wounded and is trying to cover it.

"I wrote a thesis on the effects of the soulmate bond, and I think you already know that."

"What else do you think, Camille?"

She's not that far off. Her knowledge of soulmates and bonds are what compelled him to look for her counsel in a more…traditional manner.

"You drew your hands into a fist the moment I said the word soulmate. I know she's still alive because you spoke in present tense," Cami observes with a cocked head. Silence and a glare are the only response she gets from him. "Fine. We can sit, you tell me about Vienna and pretend that's why you came here."

Cami sits on the plum colored armchair placed by the window and across the couch, crosses her legs and raises an eyebrow at him as if to say _I can wait all day._

He sighs, thinks about Bonnie, about their last night together. Remembers the feel of her skin against his.

"My soulmate is getting married," he finally says.

The words are bitter and roll out of his tongue like thick molasses threatening to choke him. He hates the look of surprise and pity that appears on her face.

"You're feeling that loss through the bond, aren't you?" Cami questions even though she already knows the answer. Hell, she's spent years of her life studying the physical and mental symptoms on soulmates after separation. "How bad is it?"

"I could go out this door and drain every single human on Jackson Square. Does that answer your question?" Klaus replies with a grimace. He despises admitting his lack of self-control.

Months ago, when they first started this, Cami would've been horrified at seeing his true dark nature. Now, she only nods and tries to think of ways to convince him not to attack the locals.

"This bout of anger is normal, Klaus. You're here and not terrorizing people, so I think you don't really want to lose control."

"It would not bode well for the king of New Orleans to be so impulsive," he concedes, also wondering if that's the only reason. Wondering if he is able to maintain control because that's what a certain green-eyed woman would like.

He scoffs at that. Even after everything, Bonnie still permeates his thoughts. She's marrying another man; their relationship is as good as dead, and yet, she maintains the role of his moral compass.

Perhaps the soulmate bond is a curse that ties him to Bonnie, one that he will never be able to break.

* * *

At night, when he's back from the therapy session with Camille and isolated in the darkness of his study, he falls into an old habit and opens a bottle of the absinthe.

He doesn't want to lose his wits, just wants to feel lighter. At least that's what he says to himself as he takes the first sip.

The liquid burns its way down his throat, makes him feel warm even though the AC is blasting.

The sips turn into gulps, and he loses control. He's not blacking out like a pathetic human after ingesting a few shots of tequila, but his movements have lost their sharpness.

With sloppy reflexes, he picks up his phone from the discarded jacket on the floor. Dials without even thinking. Hopes she hasn't changed her number.

"Hello?" Bonnie answers and Klaus feels like a little child with a crush. In that short word, she's managed to sound happy and he can't help but imagine what she's doing at the moment. He's overcome with rage once again as he thinks about her fiancée and them together. In the same way they've been together for so many years. "Is anyone there?"

"It's me, love," he finally says. His voice comes out raspy, and he promises himself it's not because he's trying to hold in tears.

"Nik? Why are you calling? Are you okay?"

On the other side of the line, Bonnie sounds worried. He loves that her first instinct is concern for him instead of anger.

"I- why did I agree to that house and that pink door?" Klaus wonders, feeling the weight of a boulder lift off his chest when she laughs.

"What?"

"I went there a few days ago. I couldn't get rid of it, not when it reminds me so much of you," he confesses, not able to stop the words that slip from him.

"Nik, we can't do this anymore. I'm getting married tomorrow."

Bonnie sounds desperate as if she's pleading with him. _Please let me go._

It makes him feel like a wretched bastard. He should hang up. He doesn't.

"Do you love him?" Klaus breathes out.

"I do, Nik," she answers, her voice quiet. "He makes me so happy."

A punch in the gut. He reaches for the bottle and drinks again.

"You'll be stunning as a blushing wife, love."

He can imagine her in a white wedding dress, glowing and smiling.

It's a damn shame he won't be the man waiting for her at the altar.

* * *

Bonnie feels butterflies fluttering around inside her stomach as walks out of the rented Bentley and sees the bright smile fixed on her dad's face.

"You look beautiful, darling," Rudy says, as he hands her the bouquet made of pink and white peonies.

She touches the white gold bracelet on her right wrist. A glimmer of heartache hits her when she looks down at the covered mark.

The subtle ache gets stronger as the string quartet begins to play, as her father walks her down the aisle.

Everyone is looking at her with white smiles, some of them are wiping their eyes, and Bonnie's thinking of the late night phone call with Klaus. Thinking of the way he sounded hurt and small. She knows it's the bond acting out.

For a second or so Bonnie wonders if this is a mistake. Maybe she isn't meant to have a May wedding in a little church with a man that isn't Klaus Mikaelson. Maybe she isn't destined to have a happy ending without him.

The proverbial wrist around her heart lets up as she looks at Teddy. Sweet, grumpy Teddy who has tears in his eyes just like he's promised.

When he lifts her veil and places a kiss on her forehead, there's not a doubt left in her.

She can be happy without Klaus, and just hopes he can find a way to be happy without her.

 _Little did she know._

* * *

 **A/N: Hey, guys! It's Carnaval here, so I had some time to write more and inspiration hit me hard! First of all, thank you all for your reviews and your support. Really, your feedback is what makes me want to write more and more.** **A quick shoutout to Anastasia-G for listening to my ideas and helping with my muse!**

 **So, yeah, that was kinda sad, but at least Klaus is working on himself and Bonnie's happy. I still plan on having a Klonnie happy ending, so don't despair. Right now they're at two different places of their lives and being together would not work out.**

 **I would love to hear what you think of the chapter, so please leave a review or send me a message on tumblr at lilac17. Hope I can keep the chapters rolling, see you soon!**


	9. maybe it's fear

Their first kiss happens on Thanksgiving. It's a sweet and hesitant peck; Bonnie's chapped lips against his. His shirt has white patches of all purpose flour, and she's still wearing ratty sweater pants. It's far from the cinematic, passionate kiss Bonnie's imagined, but she doesn't mind it.

When their lips part, his hand grips her waist and he places a kiss on her forehead. Standing in her cramped kitchen, the closeness between them seems even more obvious. Bonnie wonders if he can feel her heartbeat getting faster with every strangled breath she takes.

This is the first moment they have that isn't rooted in a platonic territory. And that included last week, when she slept while on the phone with or when she felt jealous after learning about Klaus and Caroline.

"Uhh, sorry," Bonnie whispers, even though her fingers are still interlaced on the nape of his neck. Her body language doesn't match her words at all, but he doesn't seem to mind, judging by his smirk.

"For accosting me in the kitchen while I'm being a peach and making you pie?" Klaus wonders; laughs when she slaps him on the arm. "Why, witch, don't you know? You can accost me any time you wish."

His breath is warm against her skin, and Bonnie thinks she may pass out at any moment. How can he pull a reaction like that from her with just a few words? She wouldn't get lightheaded or trembling hands for Jeremy. No, this is all caused by Klaus.

"Nice to know," she says after a much needed moment to regain composure. Not that it matters. Klaus can sniff out her emotions like a shark does with a pint of blood. "Now, how about that pie?"

He laughs, studies her face with such a concentration she can't help feeling like a book filled with complex poetry. For a moment, he looks like he wants to say something important. She wants to know what it is, but her cheeks are hot with and she's battling with the instinct to hide. After all, she's the one who totally crossed the line between them.

So when he nods and mutters bratty girl under his breath with a smile and a shake of the head, she lets go.

Bonnie knows he notices her unsteady hands while she rolls out the dough. He doesn't say anything and for that, she's grateful.

* * *

Klaus may not be well-versed in the art of reading twenty-first-century teenagers, but he's become an expert in reading Bonnie. He can tell when she's anxious because she starts tapping her nails on the nearest available surface. He can tell when she's concerned because she nips on her lower lip.

He can also tell when she's ignoring him.

Bonnie tries to be subtle about it, he notices. Unlike that unfortunate situation with Caroline, Bonnie doesn't cut all contact out of nowhere.

No, she chooses the frustrating route. Makes up excuses to explain why she can't answer his late night phone calls- it's become a habit of theirs. Answers his texts with one word.

Two weeks after they spend the afternoon baking and watching football (why that is such a beloved American tradition, he will never know), Bonnie's taken to ignoring him.

This, or course, should not be enough to dampen his mood. He's close to convincing a pack of werewolves down in Alabama to join him. With the curse broken, he's powerful. Perhaps the most powerful creature in this world.

After craving that for almost a millennia, Klaus should be delirious. He should be focused on garnering more power through alliances. Perhaps he should be celebrating. Open the Lalique Macallan bottle, pair it with a nice medium rare dry aged steak and a stream of fresh, warm blood.

Instead, he's at the mansion. Hands stained with acrylic paint as he stares at the linen canvasses before him. All of them show the same subject: a woman who suspiciously looks like Bonnie; bronze skin and green eyes.

Dismayed because his seventeen-year-old soulmate doesn't call him at night.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

* * *

It's an unfamiliar feeling to Bonnie. She misses being close to him, but she's also petrified. Being friends with him is safe territory. Well, somewhat safe. Kissing him is not.

Kissing him feels like a prequel of a different story. A story she's not sure if she's ready for. After all, how can anyone really be ready for Klaus Mikaelson?

For the first time, Bonnie feels overwhelmed. Having a soulmate isn't just a get-out-of-jail, here's your happily ever after card. She has a bond with him, butshe's still herself. Which means she's scared to relinquish control and have everything blow up in her face.

So she does what most high school girls do when they need to blow off some steam. Goes to a party held at a senior's house and keeps her red cup filled with cheap beer. Downs a jello shot and dances until she sweats out her blowout.

"Okay, this is a new development," Caroline comments; eyes a little wide and letting out a giggle when she sees Bonnie throwing back a shot of tequila. The surprise passes and she squeals and claps; a little drunk herself.

This side of Bonnie is _always_ fun. Usually, it's hard to drag Bonnie to these things and now she's the life of the party.

"Just wanted to do something different," Bonnie mutters as she tries to put her hair up in a messy bun. This is good. This is different.

Getting drunk, dancing to a Rihanna song instead of not thinking about Klaus and her ever evolving feelings for him is good.

"Just go easy on the tequila, Bon."

Bonnie nods and goes hard on the cotton candy flavored vodka instead.

* * *

It gets fuzzy after that. Bonnie remembers another junior jumping on the pool and trying to convince some of the girls to skinny dip. She remembers the smell of the pot.

Things only clear up when she goes out on the porch- dozens of kids stuffed in a living room causes the said room to be unbearable after a while- she smells that scent. That scent is undeniably his, a mixture of fragrances artfully combined to make her swoon every time she **smells** it.

Wearing a black Henley, dark jeans and, Klaus looks like every other guy out there. Sure, he looks like one of those new hipsters, but nothing about him says deadly hybrid.

"Klaus?" Bonnie asks, blinking her eyes in rapid succession. It's dark, she's drunk, so she can't be sure. Besides, having a drunken illusion is more likely than Klaus being at a high school party.

"Well, hello, witch. Aren't you being a little drunkard?"

That smooth voice sounds like him, as does that little chuckle. Bonnie does a double take; palms his face to make sure that's really Klaus.

And when Bonnie realizes that yes, her hybrid soulmate is indeed there, she does that good ole' ladylike move.

She passes out.

* * *

Klaus doesn't know if he should be annoyed or relieved by her being there.

When he looks at her, taking over half of his king sized bed and wrapped around the cover, he realizes it's the former. He's relieved she's there and not ignoring him anymore.

Sure, she's only there because she passed out after a night of heavy drinking, but that's beside the point. He would rather have her there, even if she's out cold than spend another week with her averting his presence.

He wouldn't admit it out loud, but damn did he miss her. That's probably the only reason why he agreed to leave his house and went to a damn party filled with drunk, obnoxious kids when Caroline called.

It's been less than two months since he realized who Bonnie Bennett really is, and he's already protective of her. It's no wonder he got worried when Caroline told him Bonnie was drunk off her mind and not really listening to anyone. He wouldn't carry any other person home, he wouldn't place anyone else in his own bed.

Bonnie Bennett has changed the fabric of his own being and he doesn't know how to deal with it.

* * *

 **A/N: I know this is short, but it's fluffy! I've been punishing you with angst, so I figured it would be nice to have teenager Bonnie again. Thank you all for your lovely reviews, and I loved that some of you liked Teddy and felt conflicted for liking him. He's a good guy, I promise! I like to put my characters through some pain, but not that much! Hopefully, I can keep up with these quicker updates! See you soon!**


	10. the pains and joys of moving on

Time may not heal all wounds, but it soothes them, Klaus realizes. He's still overcome with the feeling of emptiness when he finds a misplaced picture of Bonnie in one of his drawers or when he goes down to the cellar, looking for the perfect bottle of wine (he can appreciate a good red from time to time) and sees the bottle of Krug Rosé champagne Bonnie liked so much.

In those occasions, he gives in the hectic energy that quickly fills him up to the brim. Goes out with some of the nightwalkers who are still yearning for a daylight ring and creates havoc on the other side of the lake. He has to hear it from Elijah afterward ("Niklaus, you must stop being so inconsequential and start acting like a leader for once!"), but his chest is not tight anymore, so he takes the lecture with remarkable patience.

However, as time goes by, it gets easier to pretend the eight years or so of his life are nothing but a figment of his creative imagination. It gets easier to look at the letters on his wrist and pretend they're a tattoo done after an alcohol-fueled night.

Camille, sweet Camille who patiently listens to him and tries to understand his demons in their weekly sessions, objects to his strategy.

("This can't possibly be healthy for your mental welfare," Camille comments after he's done explaining his latest method to keep him from submerging into despair. "Klaus, you can't rely on ignoring your feelings and sweeping things under the rug."

"Au contraire, Camille. I believe my technique is precisely what's been keeping me in such a jolly mood," he argues. The sarcasm dripping from his voice show exactly how jolly his mood currently is.

"Twenty dead vampires in Metairie doesn't exactly spell jolly to me, but then again, I'm not a thousand-year-old hybrid," she mutters under her breath as she scribbles on the notepad, fully intending for him to hear her.

Klaus has come a long way from the guy who made her sit through his hour-long rants and compelled her afterward. Now, he will listen to her even when they have differing opinions without pulling the 'I'm the Original hybrid act'. He actually looks like he's absorbing her words when they talk about the abuse suffered at Mikael's hand.

But, every single step forward he takes seems to come undone when the subject is his soulmate, Bonnie Bennett. It takes Cami all of her expertise acquired at Clemson University to even begin to understand Klaus' mind on Bonnie.

"That was a small misstep, Camille. No need to worry your pretty head," he says with a hand wave and enjoys seeing Camille scoff at his words. "I am fully committed to being the nice boy you and Elijah want me to be, so don't despair."

"It's only been, what? Eight months? You've been with Bonnie for years, you two shared a house and a life. Having emotional outbursts is not unusual. Keeping these emotions bottled up is what going to hurt you in the future."

"Must we keep discussing these matters? Bonnie has made her choice and I've accepted it."

Cami looks at him. At first glance, he looks like the epitome of indifference. One may look at him and believe the act he's trying to pull, but Cami can tell otherwise. 80 percent of communication is nonverbal and his nonverbal cues- anxious tapping his fingers against his leg, cranking his neck to relieve tension every ten minutes- tell Cami a different story from the words coming out of his mouth.

It's all an act. )

It doesn't matter, though. The issue of his seemingly unhealthy way of coping gets pushed to the side when his very first progeny comes strolling around town, carrying a dangerous prophecy with him.

0000

Bonnie Bennett-Taylor's lost her heart. Again.

She's six years old the first time it happens. Benjamin Waters, her next door neighbor gives her a small sunflower ripped off Mrs. Mulvaney's garden and plants a wet kiss on her cheek, and she's gone. Her heart breaks when he joins pee-wee football a month later and stops talking to her, but she recovers.

One may think the second time she lost her heart was to Jeremy Gilbert, but even though he did bruise a part of her heart, it was never his to begin with. No, that honor belongs to Niklaus Mikaelson, her soulmate.

She hands Klaus her heart with a rushed kiss; blood staining her cheeks and hands after he saves Grams' life. It reads like a scene straight from a horror movie, but it couldn't be more perfect.

Years later, he walks out of their home and chooses a throne in New Orleans over their relationship. Bonnie wonders if her heart, which is really his, will ever not be a shattered mess again.

But Bonnie Bennett is nothing if not the most resilient of them. It takes her some time, countless pints of Ben and Jerry's, but eventually, she recovers again. As does her heart.

That's when she meets Edward Taylor, a civil rights lawyer who actually has an extreme distaste for wearing suits and only does it while he's in court.

They are so different that somehow it works. He loves all things baseball, would've turned pro if it wasn't for an injury. She hates it. He's a human with no known ties to the supernatural world. She's a witch belonging to one of the most powerful and ancient magic lines in the world. Yet, they both know the pain of a lost soulmate and at times, it seems like his main objective in life is to make her laugh.

She hands him a part of her heart, her mangled put together with duct tape heart, months after their first date when she realizes that life without him is bleak and colorless. He robs the other part when he gets down on one knee.

This time is different from the other times, though. Bonnie is powerless, but she doesn't even want to fight. All she knows is that she's lost herself to the tiny squirming bundle in her arms, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Born on a Sunday morning, five days before the due date, Julian Dominic becomes the love of her before he even opens his eyes.

Bonnie's never thought the soulmate bond would allow her to love someone more than she's loved Klaus, but she's wrong.

00000

Conceived during their two-week dream honeymoon in Santorini, Julian is the surprise Bonnie never saw coming. Bonnie's always been religious when it comes to taking the pill and hasn't had one slip up in years. Apparently, the warm Grecian breeze, the infinity pool overlooking the Aegean Sea and the privacy of their villa caused Bonnie to be lax with her birth control.

Seeing the positive sign on the white plastic stick just eight weeks after getting back home is nothing but a shock to her system. While she has no regrets about her marriage to Teddy, there's still some hesitation in the back of her head.

She's hesitant at first. A child, her child, deserves the best from her. And Bonnie isn't sure if she can give her absolute best just yet. Part of her is still a bit _distracted_ and a bit distraught by her own confusing feelings. Getting over Klaus, wiping him from her memories, is much more difficult than Bonnie's ever anticipated. She loves Teddy, she does. It's hard to think of what her life would be now if it weren't for him. But there are moments she's cooking dinner and Klaus fills her mind. She wonders if she's happy, wonders how he's doing. Sometimes, she wonders where she would be if she had taken him up on his proposition; if she had called off the wedding and ran with him to New Orleans. These small moments are what make her hesitant and a little afraid.

What if the bond manipulates her mind so she doesn't love this child with her all because it's not her soulmate's?

0000

Her ambivalent feelings on babies slowly wash away as Bonnie sees everyone's excitement around her, and as she hits each goal in the pregnancy.

Teddy, who has the tendency of being a little crabby around other people, reveals his marshmallow interior whenever he feels the flutters inside her stomach.

("That's our person right there, sweets," Teddy whispers to her one night while they're cuddling on the couch; a wide grin on his face as he keeps his hand splayed on her expanding stomach.)

Grams, still vibrant and active in her advanced age – lotus root juice may have something to do with it- takes to spoiling Bonnie rotten. She makes weekly trips to Charleston and spends most of her time in the kitchen, making mac and cheese and biscuits and gravy, some of Bonnie's favorites.

Caroline gets so excited it's almost like she's pregnant herself.

("It's not a creepy thing, okay? I don't want to cut this baby off you or something like that," Caroline assures her as they wait for the technician to come perform the ultrasound. With Teddy swamped with court days, Caroline jumped at the opportunity to help her in the last weeks of the pregnancy.

"O-kay. I wasn't considering that scenario, but it's always nice to know," Bonnie says with a smile.

"I just…" Caroline looks a little self-conscious for a moment.

"I know, Care. Thank you for everything. Even the Dior booties.")

Even her dad, who has never been the most emotional man she knows, has shiny eyes – he blames it on these damn allergies – when she tells him he's going to have a grandson.

By the time her belly has expanded to the point Bonnie can place a bowl of cereal on it, she feels no more hesitation. Only expectation of what's to come.

When she holds the squalling, red baby, she's not disappointed.

0000

Klaus Mikaelson is restless. Inside what's supposed to be his palace, the beautiful Abattoir, he feels like a wolf trapped in a cage; almost crawling out of his skin.

Ever since Lucien, along with Tristan and Aurora, stepped into New Orleans, the tenuous peace that's reigned over the city was dismantled, as was his own sense of self.

It starts with Lucien, his bloody witch, and that prophecy. That damn prophecy that supposedly spells out the doom of his family.

At first, he thinks it's nothing but hogwash, a tale crafted as an attempt to intimidate him and make his enemies bolder. Yet, the words of the prophecy echo in his head every time he closes his eyes.

Fallen by family, friend, and foe. Every single one of them.

Klaus refuses to believe this ludicrous prophecy, but he has to admit that it messes with his head. His paranoia, a trait that he's been trying to curb during his therapy sessions, returns with full force. Is there any remaining white oak that he doesn't know? Are his siblings plotting his downfall behind his back?

In those moments, when Klaus doesn't know what is real and what is fantasy, he wishes he could call Bonnie. His witch has always been able to calm him down, to make him see reason.

On top of the prophecy lies the matter of Aurora. Beautiful Aurora with soft ivory skin and dark red hair. She looks just like she did hundreds of years ago when they were lost in their love and filled with hopes and dreams. Before his soul became jaded; before she broke his heart with a few words.

Despite everything – a jealous brother, a yearning suitor in Lucien, her own broken heart after their bitter parting and the cursive initials on his skin- she still desires to rekindle their relationship.

("Oh, Nik. We have always been so good together, haven't we?")

Klaus fails to feel the same, even when she reveals Elijah to be the architect of their pain years ago, even when she kisses him with newfound desperation, even when he inhales her scent – lilies with a hint of sandalwood.

He falters, returns her affections a time or two, but his past feelings for her remain dormant. That bright flame that consumed him years ago had burned out.

At least that's what he thinks until he catches a glimpse of a picture in Rebekah's open email. It's Bonnie. Donned in a pink hospital gown, face shimmering with sweat and a bright white smile, she embodies the definition of happiness as she holds a newborn baby.

A child. She's a mother to her husband's child.

Before that can sink into his mind properly, he's falling in bed with Aurora.

0000

"Mama, ma!" Julian squeaks as he plays with the rubber toys floating on the water.

Sheila Bennett smiles as she continues to bathe the eight-month-old with the special lavender and herbs soap she's crafted herself to prepare the baby for his long awaited Blessing.

The ancient ritual, which bestows a layer of protection over the blessed individual, has been performed in the Bennett family for centuries now, and Sheila is relieved Bonnie finally agreed to have the ritual performed.

Even though Sheila understands her granddaughter's motives for wanting to distance herself from magic, she doesn't want Julian being vulnerable to other supernatural threats that may appear some day. Besides, her grandson may have powers of his own, even though the Bennett line has only produced witches.

"You miss your mama, my darling?" Sheila asks in a soft voice, smoothing his light brown curls. Julian's eyes, green just like Bonnie's, widens when he hears the word mama as he nods. "Oh, sugar pie, you are just too smart! You think you got that from your mama?"

An idea hits Sheila as soon as the words leave her mouth. Even though it's not possible to determine whether or not Jules will go on to exhibit any magical abilities later, there's this tiny spell that will satisfy her curiosity for now.

"Oh, Bonnie," Sheila whispers in sorrow when she finally understands what's in front of her eyes.

As the old saying goes, curiosity killed the cat.

000000

A/N: **Thank you for your lovely reviews, guys. I'm back with a new chapter and I just want to clarify something. This is a Klonnie story and I'm not doing the bait-and- switch. I hope you can trust me!**

 **I saw that you liked teenager Bonnie, which made me really happy because writing that young, tentative relationship between them in the early days is really pleasing. This chapter has some elements of The Originals, like the prophecy and some characters, but that's about it. I have no intention of following canon. On the matter of canon, I can't even say I was disappointed with the ending of TVD. To be quite honest, I'm just relieved they didn't kill Bonnie, which seemed quite likely after all the shit they threw her way. Oh, well. Fanfic will always be here to give Bonnie the love she deserves.**

 **Let me know your thoughts here or send me a message on tumblr at lilac17, I love discussing fics! Hope to update soon!**


	11. orange and blue

Bonnie Bennett is no stranger to pain. After all, she's a black witch who grew up in a small Southern town. She's a girl who was abandoned by her mother when she was seven without any explanation. She's also a woman who saw her soulmate walk away from their home.

She knows pain, and yet, nothing she's ever experienced resembles this. This is worse than hearing racist rednecks calling her awful names, worse than seeing Klaus turn his back and leave the life they've spent so many years building.

Because the Bennett line burns orange. And the smoky mist over Julian's head is orange mixed with an unmistakable shade of blue.

Each magic line has a color to represent it, and blue represents the rarest magic line in the world. The line that never was, the line that was severed before it could flourish, before it could grow.

They all thought it to be extinct.

The magic line belonging to the original witch, Esther Mikaelson.

"No…" Bonnie whimpers like a wounded animal. Tears sting her eyes as she realizes what it means. She looks at Julian and feels the need to apologize to him for the pain she's about to put him through. He may be a baby now; his happiness stemming from simple things, but he will grow up. Bonnie hopes he won't hate her then.

"Grams, I didn't know!" she whispers, feeling a lightness take over her body. Suddenly it feels like she's not even a real person anymore, just a mass of unresolved feelings.

Is it confusion, fear or pain?

Bonnie can't tell. All that she knows is her life, the life she's fought to build after so much pain is about to disintegrate right before her eyes.

And it's all her fault.

She remembers that night in New York, remembers laughing with Klaus as if they were nothing but a pair of old friends enjoying some jazz, and then she remembers kissing him with all of her might as if they were two lovers brought together after a long war.

That night was supposed to be a mistake on her part, as she allowed the bond to overcome her. However, in unexpected fashion, it also became the night Bonnie realized her and Klaus wanted two opposite things in life, realized she wanted her life with Teddy.

How ironic. Now that one night is going to ruin everything.

Bonnie feels paralyzed with fear, as she thinks up scenarios to come after this perverted twist. She also wonders how.

Vampires and hybrids can't procreate. Bonnie hasn't had one scare for eight years, so it's always seemed obvious to her that she wouldn't be able to have a child with Klaus. When she got pregnant so fast, she didn't even entertain the idea of the baby being his. As a matter of fact, she mo showed Teddy the Clearblue and playfully cursed him.

("Are you serious? Damn, I am fast," he marvels, a proud grin on his face that reminds her of a peacock. Even though she's still a little shocked, Bonnie has to smile at his bashful expression. )

"The soulmate bond predates vampires and you know what that bond means."

Everyone knows what a soulmate bond means. Scholars and scientists have been researching the effect of the soulmate bond on fertility for years and years. It's been proven that soulmate couples have little to no problems conceiving and delivering healthy children.

Obviously, there's no research available on supernatural creatures, but the possibility of a child with Klaus has _never_ crossed her mind.

 _Nothing is impossible, love_. Klaus himself used to tell her that all the time.

And now she believes him.

* * *

The pain that spread through Bonnie's bones when she saw that cyan blue mist over Jules is replaced by numbness. An utter numbness that makes her wonder if she took a Xanax instead of the regular Advil by mistake.

They say the body and the mind have a multitude of ways to deal with shock. Some people burst into tears and never stop, some people are paralyzed and some people just go on.

Bonnie thinks she fits into the last category. After drinking the herbal tea Grams hands her, she takes Julian into her arms and goes back to her childhood home.

She cooks dinner- a pot roast and mashed potatoes- for Teddy and her dad, who are out doing whatever they do. She sorts through some of her old clothes to donate to charity. She plays with Julian and even smiles when the baby shows his dimples and says _mama_ , his new favorite word after _dada_.

Her breakdown only happens hours later. It begins with tears prickling her eyes when she sees Teddy rocking Jules to sleep as he sings a Phil Collins song.

 _You'll be in my heart, from this day on, now and forever more._

"You okay there, sweets?" Teddy asks as he closes the door behind him with a soft click.

 _No_ , she wants to say, _I'm not okay. My heart is broken and I'm about to break your heart. I did something and now it's coming back. Jules is not yours, and I hate myself for it._

She stays quiet, just nods and lets him wrap her in a warm embrace. A part of her tells her to enjoy it, this warmth, this love. Because all of this is going to be ripped from her.

"Remember I told you about that dark time after I got injured?" Teddy whispers against her hair, and Bonnie feels her something in her stomach. Guilt. "I'm happy I held on for this. You and Jules, you make it all worth it."

"I love you," she says in a broken voice. What she really wants to say is I'm sorry, I hope you can forgive me someday.

She waits until he's asleep to lock herself inside the bathroom down the hallway, sobs until she's out of breath and falls asleep with her face against the cold tile floor.

* * *

In a way, she's already a liar. After all, she's been with Teddy for almost three years- they've been married for one- and the words 'by the way, I happen to be a witch' have never left her lips.

It's never made her feel guilty, this omission. Bonnie may be a witch, may have the potential to be one of the most powerful witches in the supernatural world, but she doesn't feel like one. As a matter of fact, she can't even remember the last time she's done a strong spell. She's a witch, but she's a wife, a mother and a journalist first, and that's the way she likes it. After years of having people look at her as nothing more than a walking spell, it would be a lie to say she doesn't relish having this incredibly ordinary life.

(So much so that Klaus walks out the door and she doesn't follow him, all because she wants to be Bonnie, the person and never again Bonnie, the witch.)

This secret isn't an omission, a white lie, or whatever euphemism Bonnie finds in the dictionary. No, this is earth shattering and has the potential of destroying her entire life.

And Bonnie has no idea of what she should do.

Part of her wants to confess. She's not used to the guilt and the way it seems to wrap itself around her throat, nearly choking her every time she sees Teddy holding Julian. Bonnie figures everything that comes after has got to be better than feeling like the biggest piece of shit on the planet.

She runs possible scenarios in her head. Maybe Teddy won't ask for a divorce, maybe it won't be a bloodbath and they will be able to get past this. Then the realistic kicks in. Teddy may not kick her out of their two-story house in Mt. Pleasant, but it's not going to be a walk in the park.

An onlooker will never be able to tell, with the way her husband carries himself. Teddy always looks and sounds so confident that it's hard to even imagine how fragile he really is.

It sounds a little creepy, but Teddy reminds her of Klaus.

(It's funny. At first, Bonnie was attracted to him because he was so different from Klaus. Klaus wouldn't be caught dead scarfing down hot dogs and nachos on a Saturday at Yankee Stadium and Teddy lives for it.)

They both carry an armor of protection while they try to hide their weaknesses. Klaus tries to hide how much his fucked up childhood still messes with him, while Teddy tries to deal with his sense of inadequacy.

Bonnie hates for contributing to his pain. He trusted her, just as she trusted him.

That's when the self-preservation in Bonnie awakens. It urges her to take this secret, place it inside a little porcelain box, lock it and bury it so far that even she forgets about it.

How easy that would be. For a moment, Bonnie wants to use her own powers to make her forget about this. She wonders if there's a spell on Grams' grimoire that can mess with her memories. A spell to make her believe that Teddy is Julian's dad and Klaus is her soulmate and a collection of bittersweet memories.

It would be easy, but so selfish and so unlike her. Some people are cut for deceiving. They do it with a smile on their faces and light hearts. Bonnie is not. She thinks about Teddy; his never-ending love for Jules. She also thinks about Klaus, and the nights they've spent together talking about the future.

("I wish I could," Klaus murmurs, voice so soft that Bonnie can barely hear him over the slow melody of Frank Sinatra. If their foreheads weren't touching one another, his breath tickling her face, she wouldn't have heard him.

"Could what?" she asks, letting out a low giggle when the pads of his fingers touch the exposed skin of her stomach. In the dimly lit living room of their townhouse, his boyish smile looks brighter than usual.

"Could impregnate you, see you grow swollen with my child," he confesses, and Bonnie is so shocked that she doesn't even make fun of his old-fashioned expression.

"Klaus Mikaelson wants a baby. Who knew?" she muses out loud.

In a swift motion, Klaus moves to lay over her; his body covering hers.

"I don't want _a_ baby, love. I want _our_ child, one that comes from you and me."

That night they make love on the hardwood floor of the living room; their hands joined together as he burns kisses on her neck, their eyes focused on each other as she mouths _I_ _love you_. )

Klaus, for all of his faults, doesn't deserve to be shut out from his son's life.

Bonnie just wishes it didn't have to hurt like this.

* * *

Two things happen after Bonnie discovers the true paternity of her son: she becomes an insomniac and takes to sitting on the floor of Julian's nursery, watching her son sleep.

When she does sleep, she's plagued by nightmares.

Sometimes they're about Teddy, with red eyes and crying as he throws her out. _I never should've trusted you, Bonnie!_ That's what he tells her in every single one of them.

Sometimes they're about Klaus. Oddly enough, these are the ones that leave her gasping for air.

(His eyes flash gold as he wipes the blood off his mouth with the back of his hand. The gesture is lazy and elegant, not matching the brutality of the bloody body sprawled on the concrete floor.

Teddy's body.

"I told you, Bonnie. You're mine. You dared to try to replace me with this pathetic, weak man, and you had him raising my son!")

She wonders if that particular nightmare is so terrifying because it's a hair's breadth away from being real.

Bonnie also starts making plans for the grim future.

At first, they're just thoughts in her head. Should she tell Teddy right after he gets back from his trip to D.C? Or should she wait? Should she get one of these home DNA kits to confirm what she already knows?

Then her thoughts escalate to some actions. Bonnie goes online and looks for tickets to New Orleans. Telling Klaus he's the father of her child is like breaking an engagement, it can't be done by phone. She's certainly not anxious for it- her constant nightmares say it all- but she'll be damned if she becomes a coward.

When a burst of boldness hits her, she grabs her Visa and buys an overpriced jet Blue ticket for a flight that takes off in ten days.

She's on Zillow, checking some condos downtown when the doorbell rings. Julian, in his playpen and surrounded by plush toys, squeals and claps his hands. Bonnie smiles as she answers the door. A frown replaces her sunny expression when she sees the person standing before her.

"What an adorable little house you've got here," the woman says as she looks around in an appreciative manner.

The hairs on Bonnie's arms and neck stand up immediately. Her voice is affected by an accent Bonnie can't quite figure out. At first glance, she looks ordinary. Dark red hair, nice black jumper, and a white smile. Why does she trigger the alarm in Bonnie's head?

"You're a pretty little thing, too," the redhead cocks her head and Bonnie feels like an experiment that's being studied. "But so ordinary. I figured that Nik's soulmate would be more…vivacious, more like me."

Bonnie's eyes narrow into thin slits. Somehow it all comes into place. She remembers a conversation she's had with Klaus and her presence there makes sense.

("I did love before if you must know," he says one night while they're on out the deck of their penthouse. It's the later days of fall, and Bonnie insists on sharing a blanket as they sip Cognac and just talk.

"You did?" Bonnie doesn't feel jealous, only curious. There's so much she still doesn't know about Klaus, and she's living with him.

"I was already a vampire and haunted by some of my memories and secrets. She was soft, understanding and so full of life."

"You're kinda making me sound like a downgrade here, Nik," she chirps in as she bites on the dark chocolate truffle. He throws his head back with a laugh, eyes glittering as he swipes a trace of the chocolate on the corner of her lips with the pad of his thumb.

"No, love," Klaus assures her while he casually licks the chocolate off his thumb. "I think I loved you the first time you tried to kill me. The mark was just proof of that. Not even Aurora and her red hair have the power to entice me anymore."

"I knew you had a weakness for redheads! Shall I dye my hair to catch your attention?"

"My weaknesses begin and end with my little soulmate witch.")

"Is there a reason why you're on my doorstep, Aurora?" Bonnie questions, arching an eyebrow and not showing a glimmer of fear.

"I was curious about you. Niklaus has barely said a word about his mark, not even to me, the love of his life."

Bonnie wants to laugh. Beneath all of the bravado, Aurora looks and sounds like an insecure young girl who's trying to mark her claim.

"Whatever Nik and I had is in the past and none of your business. So you can stop worrying and go."

Bonnie moves to close the door on her face, but Aurora stops her. They are inches apart, neither of them cowering. It's ridiculous, really. She's married, Aurora looks like a pouty child and yet, they're playing this game.

"Nik's always wanted to have a powerful witch to do his bidding, you know? I guess the universe was kind enough to give him one."

"I guess so."

"Elijah sought to separate us, and he did, for hundreds of years, but I am to be his queen now."

Maybe Aurora is his lost soulmate, Bonnie thinks. Because only someone truly meant for Klaus will fall for this queen bullshit.

"And as soon as we rid ourselves from this pesky prophecy and our enemies, nothing will be able to stop us."

For the most part, Bonnie's able to drown out her tirade, but this catches her attention. She may be an out of practice witch, but even she knows prophecies are not a simple matter.

Just like that, Bonnie knows Klaus has a problem, which now means _she_ has a problem.

* * *

Just because Bonnie's decided to retreat into a regular human life without all of the supernatural flourishes, it doesn't mean she's cut all of her ties.

Besides, family is family, and there's so little of them out there.

"Hey, Lucy. Did you find something for me?"

"Yeah, it doesn't look like things are going too well for your soulmate. Most of the witches down in Nola are trying not to get involved, but word is there's a civil war about to start between their bloodlines. Word of advice? Don't get involved, you've got a lot to lose and this is vampire business."

Bonnie feels lightheaded by her direct answer. Civil war. It sounds so extreme, so violent.

"Is there anything I can do?" Bonnie wonders before she can help herself. It's almost an involuntary reflex, honestly. She wants nothing to do with the bloodbath that's going to happen, but it's Nik. Nik and his scowls that melt into secretive smiles; Nik and the way he makes her feel; Nik, the father of her child.

"This is a big dog fight, Bon. Believe me, you don't want to join this mess when the Strix is involved."

There's an anxious quality to Lucy's voice, which worries Bonnie because her cousin tends to be monotone and closed off when it comes to emotions.

"Can you just keep me posted, then? I can't just…" Bonnie trails off, bites on her fingernails and chips off the maroon nail polish.

She hopes the unsaid is obvious because she doesn't want to say it out loud. Estranged or not, he's her soulmate.

* * *

Three days later, Bonnie cancels her flight ticket and tries to ignore the awful feeling that settles in her stomach.

* * *

 **A/N: And here I am again! Did you see what your amazing reviews do to me? They keep my muse awake and then she keeps me awake so I can write. That and the adorable Anastasia-G, who always helps me when I'm stuck. (BTW, check out her stories because they're all amazing!)**

 **Thank you all so much, I always do a little happy squeal when I see that someone reviewed and that you're all enjoying my story. I don't want to go on a tirade here, but your feedback is honestly something that lots of us authors look forward to, and that's how we know we're not just writing for an empty room. Besides, I absolutely love hearing your speculation for the next chapters, so hit me with your questions!**

 **So, yes, Klaus is Julian's daddy, much to Bonnie's surprise. I didn't show much of Klaus in this chapter because I wanted to be all about Bonnie and how she's dealing with that. But I showed some Klonnie cute scenes in the flashbacks, so I hope you like that!**

 **Follow me on tumblr at lilac17 to see some of my klonnie moodboards and come talk to me, I promise I'm nice!**


	12. heartbroken by a love letter

Bonnie starts writing letters. She uses her personalized stationery, the expensive and gaudy Montblanc pen Caroline's gotten her for her birthday. In loopy and pretty cursive calligraphy, Bonnie writes all of the words she can't bring herself to say.

It becomes therapeutic and the weight that's settled on her chest for the past three weeks let up just a little with every word she writes. They're all love letters, in a sense. They may contain words and phrases of tortured love and agony, but it's love nonetheless.

She writes letters to her mom, and quietly deals with the abandonment issues that still haunts her every time the pen scribbles _it's okay, I forgive you_.

She writes to Klaus, too. It reminds her of the time she was seventeen, confused, and writing questions on her trusted journal helped her not have a mental breakdown.

 _I think I may be falling in love with you, Nik. Is it me or is it the bond? Are we real?_ Teenage Bonnie would write with a fluttering heart.

Now, as an adult, a mother and a wife, Bonnie's tone carries much more gravity.

 _I carry you under my skin everywhere I go, until this day. Our souls will always be melded together, not only through the bond but through our child._

Her letters to Teddy are much harder to write, and she usually ends up gasping for air; tears staining the floral paper.

 _Don't think I don't love you because I do. Even after that disastrous first day when you couldn't stop trash talking the Cubs. Don't think I don't want our life together because I do. Even after I cheated on you. I am sorry._

Bonnie only smiles when she writes to Julian; the ultimate love letter.

 _There's not a day that passes that I don't feel love for you. You are everything I needed, my darling._

* * *

The letters help, even give her some sort of courage to finally put everything out in the open.

It never seems to be the right time and courage is a fleeting lady, she comes to discover.

The first time Bonnie doesn't feel like a coward and decides to come clean, Teddy is asked to join the legal team of a high-profile case in Atlanta. His proud smile and sweet dimples are enough to weaken Bonnie's fragile resolution.

The second time, Bonnie is sitting alone in her living room. Reruns of Top Chef are playing on the television, the baby monitor sitting on the coffee table as she nurses a small glass of red wine. Maybe it's the tiny bit of liquid courage, but she just feels ready for some reason. Lying is exhausting and Bonnie is depleted of energy.

 _That's it_ , Bonnie thinks as one of the contestants presents his dish to the judges, _I'm going to tell him._

Her determination lasts approximately thirty minutes and is obliterated when Teddy surprises her by walking into the door, a small cake in his hands.

"Hey, sweets. Got on the first flight after they gave us the day off. I don't know how long I have until they call me again, so I thought we could celebrate our boy's day early."

Needless to say, Bonnie keeps quiet as they sing happy birthday and blow out the ten little candles, one for each month of Julian's life. It's become a tradition of theirs, and Bonnie isn't about to ruin it.

So she smiles and takes pictures when Julian smashes the cake with his tiny fists; buttercream smeared on his face and light brown hair.

They look so identical, with matching dimples and mischievous smiles, that Bonnie does a double take and wonders if her mind is playing games. Wonders if the similarities she spots are real or made up.

* * *

In the end, everything comes bursting out in the open. There's no yelling, no throwing things around, just his trembling hand as he holds one of the letters addressed to him.

Bonnie recognizes the stationery, her own handwriting, and freezes. It's almost as if she was hit with a spell. Her heart is thudding against her chest, the sound of blood rushing through her ears. She wants to run to him, wrap her arms around him and never let him go, make sure he knows how she really feels, but she can't.

Even though she's spent weeks imagining- even practicing – how this would go, Bonnie realizes she's not ready for this conversation, the pain, and the tears, not one bit.

"I thought this was for me because … I don't know what I thought," he lets out a bitter chuckle, places the letter on the floor. The pained undertones tainting his voice spur her into action.

Shaky, unstable legs carry her for a few yards until she all but collapses on the hardwood floor next to him. There's nothing but the agonizing sound of silence in their bedroom; the faint and rhythmic _thump_ of their heartbeats sounding loud as a freight train.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this," she murmurs, shaking her head.

"How was this supposed to be, huh? Me finding out after you left me? Or after you took my name off his birth certificate?" Teddy wonders, closing his eyes shut as if the thought of that reality hurts him.

Imagining that reality, a life that doesn't have him in it, hurts Bonnie, too.

"I would never do that," her voice rises just a tad. As much as she wants to scream, a knot is firmly stuck in her throat. So, she grips his face with both hands and stares him in the eye. "You're Jules' dad, you hear me?"

"This has always been my nightmare, you know?" he starts to say, five minutes after the torture of sitting in absolute silence. "When you told me you had a soulmate, I didn't care. You were so bright and I loved your smile and you made me happy. After Claire and the injury, I didn't think I would be that happy again."

"Teddy…" she tries to say that she feels the same. After Klaus left, breaking her heart in the process, Bonnie didn't believe she would experience that kind of happiness again. She knew she would be able to survive, maybe move on, but that delirious happiness that tasted as sweet as fire roasted marshmallows? Bonnie thought that was lost, gone with Klaus. But it wasn't.

"But I knew everything could be over the minute he came back," he says, dark eyes fixed on the wall. A picture of the three of them, taken moments after Julian was born, hangs there. "Jesus, how could I be so stupid? I should have known that this fucking bond is too much. I should've-"

He starts to mumble to himself, running a hand through his messy hand.

"You should have what? Run as fast as you could when you found out I had a soulmate? Never proposed or gotten married?" Bonnie asks; a hint of desperation coming through. That is one of _her_ nightmares, Teddy regretting her, regretting them.

"Gods, no!"

This time he's the one looking at her in the eyes, cupping her cheeks to make her face him. He wants to assure her, Bonnie realizes.

She loves him even more for it.

"I don't regret you, Bonnie. You made me a better person, but all of this is fucking eating at me," he confesses with a low voice, moves to rest his chin on her shoulder and inhales the smell of the shampoo on her damp hair. "The day Julian was born was the happiest day in my life and he's not mine, you can take him away in a minute."

His voice, so calm and steady minutes ago, now sounds broken and anguished. Bonnie wraps her arms around his bulky torso and holds him.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she whispers, pulling his face closer, kissing whatever part of his skin her lips can find. They hold each other, as they try to make sense of the gripping pain that's settled.

"Why didn't you tell me, Bon?" Teddy asks; his warm breath against her tear damp face. "After it happened, I mean."

"It was never supposed to be a big deal, I guess," Bonnie confesses, feeling her face and neck warm up in a blush as the words leave her mouth. "Sorry, I didn't mean that. It's just that he was there and I couldn't…" Bonnie trails off, wondering if she should just shut up. She wants to make it better, wants to say whatever she can to make him stop hurting, but she's doing the exact opposite.

"You couldn't help yourself," he whispers, toys with a strand of her hair as she looks up at him with wide, surprised eyes. "Claire may have passed away years ago, but I still remember that feeling."

The bond is addictive, Bonnie agrees with that. It pulls and pushes until she gives in, and she hates that. She hates that it clouds her judgment, that it robs her of control.

"Do you want to be with me, Bonnie?" he asks, sounding so defeated that her heart breaks again.

In that moment she hates the bond with all of her might. She and Klaus are over, each desiring different things in their lives. Why can't she just have a clean break and be able to move on? Why wasn't she able to resist it?

Bonnie hates the bond because as much as she wants to be with Teddy, which she does, there will always be a part of her that yearns for Nik. And Teddy doesn't deserve that.

"That pause right there fucking kills me, Bon," he groans as if her hesitant silence has physically hurt him.

"I wouldn't have married you if I didn't want to be with you, Ted," she says, holding him closer; quiet and confident words almost echoing in the silence of their room. "I do love you, even with this bond."

"I love you. So much it fucking hurts," he whispers against her neck. Her heart flutters like a hummingbird's wings. "But we need some time. Just until I can figure out everything."

His voice is soft, not spoken out of anger, which terrifies Bonnie even more. She wants to protest, say that time will not heal their wounds, but she stays silent. After being the cause of these wounds, she doesn't want to push him anymore. Teddy is fragile and hurting, and if he needs time, she'll give him that.

"Okay, it will be okay," Bonnie murmurs, more to convince herself than anything else.

They spend the rest of the night on the hardwood floor of their bedroom, fingers intertwined as they try to make sense of everything.

* * *

A week passes, and Bonnie feels like she's on the brink of a nervous breakdown. Sticking to his request for some time, Teddy turns most of his focus to the case in Atlanta.

They still talk, but it's not that easy, fluid conversation anymore. Awkwardness tints most of their phone calls, and it seems like they're only back to normal when the subject is Julian.

(That is Bonnie's only reprieve, that nothing has changed when it comes to Jules, that he still sees Julian as _their_ son and not only her child.)

She's working on an article, ready to pull her own hair out in frustration – she's realized that having major marital issues isn't exactly conducive to writing a piece about Parisian lifestyle- when Lucy calls.

Her mood, which isn't that jolly, to begin with, declines with each word her cousin has to offer.

"Sorry, Bon. They broke the sire link and word is, there's still a trace of the white oak around. Every single one of his enemies is probably heading to New Orleans as we speak. He's a sitting duck there."

Bonnie almost laughs in shock. She's never thought Niklaus Mikaelson and the phrase sitting duck would go together, but apparently, that's the reality of this new bizarre world she's in.

At night, when Bonnie's cuddled up with a fussy Julian in bed while Aladdin is on, she tries to ignore the urge that overtakes her. Tries to shut out the urge to go to New Orleans and make everything right on that front.

She fails.

* * *

Bonnie ponders on the subject for two more nights until she finally makes up her mind.

Going through the dusty grimoire she hasn't touched in years is easy, as is going back to practicing some magic –some of her practices consist of making Julian's toys float and dance to the rhythm of a Mary Poppins' song as he squeals in delight.

Convincing Grams and Lucy to go along with her plan is much harder, though.

"You really want to jump into a war that isn't yours, Bonnie?" Grams asks, using a tone, couples with a cock of the head that never fails to make Bonnie feel stupid. It probably would've worked if she was younger, but it doesn't now.

"I tried to stay away, Grams," Bonnie confesses and it's the truth. She tried not to get involved in whatever problems Klaus had caused while vying for his throne, and she managed to do just that for years. Now, things are different. This is more than just cleaning his mess, he can actually _die._ Gods, just saying that makes her stomach lurch in an uncomfortable way.

"If I do nothing, how will I be able to look into Julian's eyes and tell him I didn't try to save his father's life?"

Everything may be fucked up between them, considering they haven't seen each other in more than a year, but he's her soulmate and Julian's dad. She needs to fight so Jules has the opportunity to meet his father. She owes this to him.

"And how will I be able to look into his eyes if something happens to you, Bonnie?"

Bonnie nods and cracks her knuckles, a nervous habit, as she tries to push out some memories of a not so distant past.

"This isn't high school, Grams. I know what I have to lose and I won't push my limits."

Sheila still looks a little skeptical, but she gives a tight nod and seems to be more open to the idea. Even though Sheila wants to shield Bonnie and her great grandchildren from every possible danger in the world, she notices that determined glint shining in Bonnie's eyes. There's no stopping her stubborn grandchild.

"Tell me what you're thinking."

* * *

In New Orleans, a wounded king – the ever famous Niklaus Mikaelson- sits in his dimly lit room at the Abattoir.

Crystal tumbler dangling from one hand, Klaus sips on the aged whiskey as he enjoys the smooth melody of Frank Sinatra and tries to ignore the ache in his joints.

Days have passed since the witches broke the sire link, and he's still feeling the effects of being on the receiving end of such a powerful spell, much to his distaste. His muscles still have a slight tremble with weakness and his fast reflexes have yet to recover.

For that reason, he takes to solitude, despising the thought of other people seeing him in that pitiful state.

 _Fly me to the moon_ starts playing and his heart jolts for no apparent reason; a warm sensation filling his body. Despite everything - a sore body and ego at being bested- his lips curl in a smile. Because this sensation is a familiar one, and it hasn't hit him ever since that warm, full moon night in New York.

"I hope you arrive soon, little witch," he murmurs, feeling better than he's felt in weeks.

Bonnie is finally coming back to him.

* * *

 **A/N: And I'm back, you guys! Thank you so much for your reviews. As always, they gave me the push I needed to write this chapter. I always love to hear from your and see things I haven't considered while writing the story. Now Teddy knows and Bonnie is New Orleans bound. I know this chapter was very light in Klonnie but the sequence to this one will be a Klonnie fest, promise you. I don't know if the next update will be a flashback or the confrontation. Let me know your thoughts in your review or send me a message on tumblr at lilac17!**


	13. didn't know it would be this hard

Bonnie Bennett arrives in New Orleans on a Thursday night carrying a weekender tote filled with some clothes, a toiletry bag, her grimoire and the exact ingredients needed to perform the spell. That's it. Just the basic items she needs to do this and get the hell out.

It's a beautiful city, she has to admit. Houses painted in bright colors, musicians playing saxophones and violins; smooth and lively melodies filling the air, as people smile and dance, clearly not caring that it's a chilly weeknight.

Bonnie hates it. She hates it because, for just a glimmer of a moment, she can see herself living there. She can imagine her and Klaus walking down Bourbon Street, joined hands as they laugh at one of his stupid jokes- he has the worst of them, believe her. She can imagine them _being_ there.

And that unsettles her.

Later at night, after Bonnie's scarfed down a bacon cheeseburger from room service, she talks to Jules and beams at his sweet babbles.

When the lights are off and she's under the covers, Bonnie tries to sleep, but her mind is filled with bittersweet memories.

("I reckon you would be happy there, witch. I can just see you in New Orleans," Klaus mentions as the pads of his fingers glide through the expanse of her skin. A smirk appears on his lips when he notices the goose flesh all over her.

"And why is that?" she asks, takes a sip of her creamsicle milkshake and tries to pretend she's utterly unfazed by the closeness between them.

It's spring break, and with both Elena and Caroline gone for a weekend in Myrtle Beach, Bonnie's taken to spending the unusually warm day with Klaus, in the ridiculous pool of his ridiculous mansion.

"You're one of these old souls. Much more mature than Caroline and the doppelganger," he grimaces, eliciting a quiet laughter from her.

With her hair up in a ponytail and her suntanned skin, Klaus finds it hard to take his eyes off her.

She notices it, his blatant stare, and her face is covered by a pink blush that's irresistible.

"I belong in New Orleans because I'm more mature than my teenager friends?"

He leans down, cups her cheek and kisses her until he can taste the orange on her lips.

The conversation about New Orleans gets postponed after that.)

Bonnie doesn't sleep that night.

* * *

In the ten years Bonnie Bennett has known Klaus Mikaelson, they've had many encounters.

The most random one happened at a parking lot in Disney World, right after her team placed third at Worlds. That time in Paris, when he surprised her at the steps of Palais Garnier, is the most romantic.

This time takes the cake, though. Because, really, what could be more unexpected than Klaus standing at the breakfast line of the Marriott?

"Hello, love. I hear the continental breakfast here is quite scrumptious," he greets her in a casual voice as if him being there is the most normal thing.

He may not stand out, with the bohemian style consisting of a black Henley, dark wash jeans, and a freaking bead necklace, but Bonnie knows better.

"What are you doing here? And how did you find out where I was?"

Klaus tilted his head, looks at her like she's a naïve little girl. Oh, yeah. The bond.

"Sweet Bonnie, must you really ask how I've come to find you? Now, join me for breakfast, will you?"

Against her better judgment – this is supposed to be only business, after all – Bonnie nods.

* * *

Breakfast goes better than expected. After her second cup of coffee and a plate of chocolate chip pancakes covered with whipped cream, Bonnie is almost oblivious to the fact that they are an estranged couple who haven't seen each other in more than a year. As a matter of fact, Bonnie thinks they probably look like old friends who are excited to be around each other.

And in some way, she is excited to have him close again. It's probably fucked up, considering everything – the unknown state of her marriage, Julian, and the fact that Bonnie doesn't know if it's the bond or her own mind- but her heart flutters whenever his eyes slant in her direction.

Bonnie chuckles when he steals a strawberry from her plate and licks the cream off his fingers, just like he used to do in the past.

("I see your table manners remain as awful as ever, Nik.")

They allow themselves to reminisce about their past for a moment; smile with yearning as they talk about that time in Barcelona. Bonnie clears her dry throat and cuts to business when she realizes the slippery slope she's standing on. Her heart is racing and he hasn't even touched her.

It's honestly ridiculous. Just his mere presence is enough to mess with her head.

A disappointed look crosses his face for a quick second, but he grins again when he figures the reason for her sudden change of subject.

The conversation loses its easy and casual quality as Klaus starts to tell her about the Strix ("A vampire organization run by a righteous little prick who thinks he's too big for his britches.") and Lucien ("He's the first vampire I've sired. The amount of envy he harbors toward me and my siblings is excessive, to say the least.").

Bonnie finds it interesting he doesn't mention Aurora, not even in passing. A tiny part of her feels bad for the redhead. She may be in love – or obsessed – with Klaus, but it's quite obvious that she's alone in that feeling.

His voice gets raspier and deeper when he recalls the events that lead up to the linking spell being broken. A bit of an expert in Klaus' behavior, Bonnie can tell he's trying to mask his vulnerability from her. He's been bested by those he considers inferior to him, so she knows that must be eating at him. Her soulmate is a complicated mix of pride, ego, and vulnerability.

The urge to take him into her arms and comfort him hits Bonnie so keenly that she has to fiddle with her hands to avoid reaching out for him. Her stomach curls in guilt when she feels the cold band of her white gold wedding ring. Bonnie's been so focused on preparing for the spell, saving Klaus and making sure he won't get killed in the near future that she almost forgot about the mess that awaits her back home.

"Is that why you're here, witch? To finally come save me?" Klaus asks with an arched eyebrow; his tone pointed as he gives her the ever famous Klaus Mikaelson attitude. Bonnie doesn't respond. In another time, she would have a biting remark at the top of her head. Now, she notices the way he glances at the cushion cut diamond on her finger.

"Maybe I'll be your knight in white armor, Nik," Bonnie says, tries to show him a bright smile as she folds her hands on top of her lap, hiding the ring from him.

He snorts, but can't help cracking a smile at that. His little witch will be his salvation, and that couldn't be more fitting.

"I'll need the moon at its fullest for everything to work, and we'll need lots of trees," Bonnie tells him; eyebrows furrowed as she tries to think of a place suitable for this.

"I know a location. Just," he hesitates, looks at Bonnie in the eye as if he's trying to study her, trying to read her every thought. "It took them, various witches, to perform this spell. How can you be certain you will be able to do this with no lasting damage?"

He knows how devastating magic can be, how it can consume a witch until she has nothing left to give. The thought of Bonnie meeting a bitter destiny just because she was attempting to save him makes him ill.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," she assures him, picks up a strip of cold and crispy bacon and studies him. Pale skin with yellow undertones, bags under his eyes. He looks exhausted, drained, in a way that Bonnie didn't even think was possible for a vampire. "Besides, you're like this pretty neon walking target every minute the link is unbroken."

His features soften as he chuckles, feeling his insides twist in a way they haven't ever since that night in New York. This time, she's wearing jeans with a sweater instead of an enticing red piece, but she still has the ability to take his breath away.

And there's something different about her. He can't quite tell. She's not the seventeen-year-old who used him as a guinea pig for magic practice, or even the twenty-four-year-old woman who fell in love with a pink door and convinced him to buy a house because of it.

No, she's someone else.

"You look great, witch. Motherhood suits you."

* * *

 _Motherhood suits you._

His words, uttered in the sweetest voice, echo in her mind for the rest of the day.

She drains two little Jose Cuervo bottles and cries when she tries to imagine his reaction to the truth.

Her sleep is filled with nightmares, much like the ones that have haunted her for the past weeks.

* * *

The sky is painted in dark blue color, sprinkled with milky white stars and a luminescent full moon. A beautiful night for a spell.

Bonnie hugs herself and wonders if the chills going through her body are because of the cold air or anticipation.

"Bonnie," Klaus murmurs as he comes up behind her. His voice is low against her ear, which makes her shiver again. "Are you sure about this?"

He sounds scared, which surprises her. Klaus may be an emotional person, but he always tries to hide it with his cutting words and a deadpan sarcasm. This time, he stands before her naked from his armors; nothing but the Nik she's come to know. The Nik who whispered sweet nothings into her ear during rainy Sunday mornings.

"Nikki," Bonnie uses the nickname without even noticing. It's a way to comfort him. "It will be okay. Come on."

Bonnie takes Klaus by the hand, leads him to the circle made with silver leaves and dandelions.

"Just trust me," she murmurs, running her fingers through his hair, feeling flickers of electricity go through them.

He nods, eyes big and so blue when illuminated by the light of the full moon.

It's time.

She starts chanting, her voice low and steady, and slowly rising as a thick green surrounds the two of them, making her eyes burn and her throat closes up. Her voice falters, but she pushes through, ignoring the sharp pain that slowly fills her body.

"Aghh!" Klaus screams, a guttural and almost animalistic scream coming out of him as he falls to his knees.

The smoke, now a shade of dark purple, turns into a raging fire, burning through all of the plants Bonnie carefully arranged around them.

Bonnie gasps, Klaus yells. The flames move rapidly and consume the foliage of the trees and then…

Silence.

She can breathe again, but the edges of her vision start to blacken.

"It worked, didn't it?" Bonnie asks when she sees Klaus getting up slowly; unstable legs barely supporting him.

Bonnie wants to smile, run up to Klaus and hug him. She ends up on the floor instead; face against the cold grass and lost consciousness.

* * *

It's morning when Bonnie wakes up. Birds are chirping away outside the window, sunlight warms the skin of her face. For a moment she thinks she's back at home, but reality sets in when she smells his musky and citrusy scent and feels the pads of his fingers tracing her spine.

"You had me worried, witch," Klaus says; a soft smile as he studies her. He's been like this for the past seven hours, holding her in his arms, counting the tiny freckles on the apples of her cheeks.

"Did it work?" Bonnie asks; voice raspy from the lack of use.

"Don't sell yourself short, love. Of course it worked."

He cups her face, feels the warmth radiating from her. Bonnie blinks in rapid succession, letting her eyes get used to the sunlight. She still feels a little out of it, her movements lazy, as if she swimming in a molasses filled pool.

"Good," she murmurs, manages a smile. "You're good?"

He nods, looks at her in such a way that makes Bonnie feels goosebumps down her spine. Devotion. Klaus is looking at her like she's some sort of deity that's just performed a miracle. Bonnie doesn't know what to make of that.

Then, their faces are close. Bonnie can feel his breath on her skin until she feels his lips on hers. It's a familiar sensation, kissing him. Bonnie is reminded of their lazy mornings in bed, and she doesn't resist. She returns the kiss, wraps her arms around him.

It feels like she's in a sweet dream. Maybe they're in a villa back in Seychelles, the ocean outside washing over the white sands.

Klaus splays his hand against the skin of her stomach and the spell breaks.

Just like that, Bonnie realizes this isn't a dream. Her mind, so hazy before, is now focused enough to know this is wrong. She pushes Klaus and sits up; wide eyes as **reality** sets in.

This isn't Seychelles or Tahiti. Lazy mornings in bed with Klaus isn't _her_ reality anymore. She's supposed to be working on her marriage, not making out with him.

Could she be any more pathetic? Life as she knows it is about to be over, and she's there, acting like she has not a single care in the world.

She jumps out of bed with newfound energy, picks up her navy blue sweater that draped over the back of a chair and ignores his laser-focus stare on her.

"Why do you insist on doing this, huh? Ignoring us?"

Bonnie stops for a moment, looks at the frustrated expression on his face and sighs.

"Nik…"

Her voice pleads with him, to no use. Bonnie can already see waves of anger crashing down on him. His eyes flash gold and Bonnie knows whatever is coming

"What? Did you come here to help poor little bastard Klaus then? Maybe pretend you still see a future for us so you can have a nice laugh or two? Perhaps you wanted a break from that quaint life you insist on having and wanted to feel powerful. What is it, Bonnie? Tell me!"

All control gone, Klaus towers over her with an intimidating presence. His voice sounds both pained and utterly furious, a combination Bonnie hasn't heard in a long while. He's a hair's breadth away from snapping. She snaps first, though.

"I came because I didn't want you to die! I didn't want my child to know I let his father die and didn't try to stop it!" Bonnie spits out; the words tumbling together as she pushes him, almost urging for a fight.

His eyes widen and Bonnie freezes; the weight of her words dawning on them.

* * *

Out of all the confessions Bonnie's ever made, this one ranks the sloppiest, most ill-timed confession of her life. She wasn't supposed to tell him like that, in a fit of anger.

"What?" Klaus asks; a low voice rasping out as he stumbles back, almost as if her words acted like a spell. Weakening him and slowly twisting his insides.

"You're Julian's dad," she says, bracing herself against the wall as she tries not to pass out.

In a way, she wonders if she should be used to these moments by now, but this feels different. Teddy was broken after reading that letter. Klaus, after the initial shock, looks like a caged wolf about to jump out at her.

Just like that, Bonnie knows this isn't going to be the same quiet, heartbroken scene that happened a few weeks ago.

"I should've known not underestimate you, witch," he finally mutters after a long, tense moment of silence. She looks up at him and knows her own face is painted with confusion. Out of everything she's expected to come out of Klaus, this is not it. "Underneath that pretty, gentle smile lies a vicious woman. You set out to hurt me like I hurt you, didn't you?"

His lips curl in a cruel smirk, the one he usually reserves for his enemies before destroying them. Bonnie can't help but feel like a speck of dirt under his hateful gaze.

 _He's hurting_ , she tries to remind herself as her nails bite into the palm of her hand.

"What are you trying to say, Nik?"

"I hurt you and you sought to hurt me back by keeping my child away from me. Perhaps that was your plan all along."

His voice sounds so sure that Bonnie releases a dry, incredulous laugh.

"You think I wanted this? Walk down the aisle while carrying another man's baby? Break everyone's heart as a way to get revenge on you?"

Klaus hesitates, doesn't say anything. Bonnie wonders if he's realized how utterly ridiculous that sounds. She's not exactly sure. After all, Klaus is so used to a world filled with treachery, backstabbing that this theory would make sense in his head. It hurts, though. It hurts that even the smallest part of his mind would believe her to be this cruel, this petty.

"You hurt me, but I don't hate you for that, Klaus. And no, I wouldn't try to get back at you by using a child and hurting the people I love."

"Them why hide him from me?" Klaus asks. The image of a radiant Bonnie holding a pink-faced baby comes to his mind and he feels a knot in his throat. The sensation is a little similar to the one he felt on the day he found out she was a mother. She's a mother to _his_ child.

He's a father. He has a son. Did the gods really allow that to happen?

At that moment, at that realization, Klaus feels light, as if he's filled with hot air and unexpected hopes.

"I didn't hide him from him, I didn't know. Grams found out when she did a spell and saw Esther's line combined with the Bennett. I didn't even know this could happen with vampires or hybrids."

Bonnie breathes out and relaxes her shoulders, just a little. He doesn't look furious anymore, only displays an indecipherable expression. It's a bit frustrating, to be honest. She wants to read him like she used to do, and she can't.

"Tell me about him," Klaus requests with a small voice, runs his hand through his hair as he tries to imagine how that small baby looks today. It's been ten months. He thinks of Henrik, the last infant he was around, and wonders if his son is anything like his brother was.

"His name is Julian Dominic, but we call him Jules. He's ten months old and learning how to walk, he's a sunny baby, most of the time," Bonnie starts to say, feeling awful that s he can't tell him everything. After all, how can she tell him Jules is insanely attached to Teddy and his favorite word is dada?

Klaus smiles as the picture of a baby -a perfect mixture between him and Bonnie- comes to his mind.

Bonnie also smiles when she sees the mystified look on his face. She knows that feeling, saw that same look plastered on her own face on the pictures taken after Jules' birth.

The smile drops with his next words.

"I am sure I can have a room set up for him in less than a week," Klaus says, furrows his eyebrows as he begins to think about what needs to be done. "How soon can you bring him?"

"Here?" Bonnie chokes out in surprise. It may be a little naïve on her part, but for some reason, she never expected Klaus to want Julian in freaking New Orleans. "Nik, are you serious? I'm not bringing Jules to this fucking mess anytime soon."

The atmosphere changes, and once again, Bonnie feels herself suffocating with the thick tension swirling around them.

"What is your reasoning behind that premature decision, witch? Am I wrong in wanting to be with my son after I've been robbed of months of his life?" Klaus asks, and his tone feels like an accusation to Bonnie.

Once again, her stomach lurches around as the realization comes to her. He blames her. Even though she didn't know, he still blames her for all of the lost moments. In a way, Bonnie understands him. He's hurting – even if he doesn't want to admit it – and it's easier to put everything on her. A part of her feels guilty, but not enough to roll over and comply with his every wish.

"How about the fact that I'm here because you were one enemy away from being killed? Or the fact that you have more enemies than there are days in a year? So, no I don't think that's a premature decision," Bonnie points out, watches his features contort into a snarl.

"So you want to deny me of the chance of being with my son?"

"No, I'm saying Jules isn't coming to New Orleans," Bonnie replies with a sigh, feeling exhaustion seep through her bones and muscles. She's an hour away from becoming a zombie and suddenly, she feels utterly unprepared for this conversation. A confession is easy, but the aftermath is just brutal. "You are more than welcome to go to Charleston to see him."

Judging by his grimace, Bonnie can tell that solution doesn't placate Klaus.

"See him a few days a month while you keep your pretty little family and ignore my existence? Perhaps that is what you want, witch. Much like my own mother did, you want to hide his true paternity. Do you fear what your husband may do once he finds out the truth?"

Bonnie's eyes narrow into two slits and both of her hands ball into tight fists at his unspoken but clear suggestion.

"I am no Esther, Nik. I would never allow my son to be in an unhealthy situation. And Teddy is no Mikael. Mikael was just a cruel man who hated a child for no reason. So, _don't_ try to make that comparison."

"What do you want me to think, then? You are trying to shut me out of his life."

"All I want is a safe home for him, Nik," Bonnie says, reaching out for him, trying to make him understand. "And you know as well as I do that here is not the place for that."

Klaus rubs his eyes, tries to hide the tears gathered there. This feels like the morning after their passionate escapade in New York when Bonnie handed him the ring back and left to get married to another man. He didn't fight then. He didn't try to make her see reason. He refuses to make the same mistake now.

"I _will_ make it safe for him, Bonnie."

"How? I want to believe you, but I can't. You could threaten everyone to fall in line with your hybrid powers and they would tremble, but that won't work anymore. They smelled blood, your blood, and they want to destroy you."

A part of Klaus knows she's right. His enemies are salivating at his momentary weakness and plotting his downfall. The other part thinks of all the moments he's missed. He didn't see his son take his first breath, doesn't know how he looks like. Klaus is nothing more than a stranger to his own child and that destroys him.

"I lost so much of his life and now you want me to stay away and come see him when _you_ feel like it? No, witch. I'm done with that. My son should have his rightful place beside me, as should you," he adds the last part in a much softer voice and hopes he can make Bonnie see reason. They have a bond, made stronger now because of their son. Playing these pitiful games and pretending they should be apart is ridiculous to him.

Last night was just a preview of his witch's untapped power. With their combined powers, they could be the greatest force the supernatural world has ever seen.

"This isn't about us, Nik. It's about giving Julian the best we can," Bonnie says and takes a small step back. The close proximity has her heart racing – even though that reaction is the last thing she wants. Her body, however, has always been slow to catch up with her mind when it comes to Klaus.

"Unlike you, I wish to give our son a stable family. Perhaps, out of the two of us, _I_ am the one who is willing to do what is best for him."

That remark- said with a sneer- hits a sore spot in Bonnie and she cringes, almost as if Klaus threw salt on an open wound. As much as she would like to say otherwise, there is a part of Bonnie that asks herself the same questions every day.

 _Wouldn't it be better to stop running and be with Klaus? Who will be able to understand you better than your own soulmate?_

Sometimes, these quiet whispers would get louder and Bonnie got filled with the urge to talk to Klaus and make things right. Maybe they could get back to where they were years ago. But then Teddy would Face Time during one of his rare breaks from court, Jules would squeal dada in unabashed happiness, and Bonnie realized she couldn't put the genie back in the bottle.

The dream of a pretty, nuclear family with Klaus and Julian may be elusive, but it's just that. A dream. Reality is much more complicated than that, no matter what Klaus believes.

Which is not surprising, considering Klaus has lived with his own rules when it comes to relationships. He was used to getting his way every single time. For him, a problem could be solved with a little stake in the heart, a broken neck or some threatening. Maybe that is why _they_ weren't able to get past their first big hurdle, and why he was trying to get a reaction out of her.

He's looking for a fight; probably wants everything to burn before they come together. That strategy has worked before, but now Bonnie feels too tired and too old to fall for that. So she only shakes her head, puts on her sneakers and slings her bag over her shoulder.

"I don't want to hurt you, Nik," she murmurs, feeling a little lightheaded. "You're Jules' biological dad and I wouldn't try to push you out of his life."

He's quiet as she cups his face and kisses his cheek, damp with quiet tears. Bonnie feels like crying herself, but she holds on. Murmurs ' _it will be okay'_ in a soothing voice, and walks out, ignoring curious stares and her own trembling legs.

* * *

Being Klaus Mikaelson's therapist should come with a six-figure salary and amazing benefits, Camille concludes as she looks at the not too sober hybrid standing outside her door.

"What's going on, Klaus?" she asks, pulling him inside before one of her neighbors gets curious.

He ignores her, finds the bottle of Bourbon he keeps stocked there for their sessions and takes a healthy gulp. A sense of numbness takes over him. He breathes with a little more ease.

"Klaus! Talk to me," Camille all but orders, using her authoritative voice as she stares at him. She's known the guy for years now, but this is the first time he looks entirely naked, all of his armors gone.

"I'm a father, Camille. I have a son and-" he stops to take a drink again. "I need you to help me get my family back."

Speechless by the unexpected news, Camille moves to the kitchen to make herself a hot cup of black coffee.

It's going to be a long night.

* * *

 _ **A/N: A bunch of Klonnie scenes, as promised! First of all, thank you all for your reviews, your questions! Can I just say that reading about how some of you liked Teddy really warmed my heart? I plan on giving everybody a happy ending, so don't worry, guys! Now, Bonnie, Klaus, and even Teddy have a journey ahead of them when it comes to Julian. I couldn't see Klaus reacting that well to the news, considering his impulsiveness, or Bonnie giving in to him, so you have fireworks. Let me know your**_ thoughts _**because believe me, they help me when I write. Now, I'm going to try working on an update for Adventures, because I've been neglecting that baby. Hopefully, I get some inspiration to push out a new chapter for this story too!**_


	14. it's been less than a year

On the Friday after his ever so charming brother throws a bash in their presidential suite, racks up an impressive bill in liquor and drains five of the girls he met at a popular nightclub, Klaus spends most of the day compelling terrified maids so they won't mention the blood staining the ancient rug in the dining room.

In another life, compelling most of the Four Seasons staff would be a nuisance and nothing more. This time, he feels exhausted with the cleanup.

Perhaps he's grown bored with the utter debauchery Kol insisted on having. There are only so many lingerie-clad women he can see and mouthfuls of blood he can take before it all blurs into the same.

Perhaps he's grown too used to Bonnie and the quiet comfort she provides, the sweet scent of her honey and oatmeal soap on her skin.

After every single trace of the 'small soiree' vanished from the white marble floors and five hundred thread count sheets, Klaus makes a phone call and boards a chartered plane.

Three stops and almost thirteen hours later, he's back in Mystic Falls. The strange relief he feels when he sees the two story house and the tall sugar maple tree is more than palpable.

* * *

It's been less than a year – maybe six months? Bonnie's not sure anymore- but she's already learned how to tell _that_ sensation apart from all the others. How to feel _him_.

It's a little fluttering, more subtle than butterfly wings, combined with a jolt. Like energy, in a way. Not strong enough to hurt, but enough to rouse her from almost sleeping through a marathon of old Project Runway episodes.

So yeah, she feels _that_ before she smells his citrus peppery cologne, before she feels him nosing through her messy curls, before she hears his voice with that oh, so distinctive accent.

"Did you miss me, love?"

* * *

They kiss right after that. Short, sweet pecks against her cheeks, the tip of her nose, the column of her neck, as he takes in the sweet jasmine scent from her body lotion.

He feels like a small boy with attachment issues instead of a dangerous hybrid because he cannot stop touching her. After a week without Bonnie, he finally feels centered now that he's in her orbit again.

She slides into his lap, murmurs words he can't understand, not even with his supernatural hearing. He picks up a soft 'I really did miss you', and tries to ignore the way his heart swirls around in his chest because he refuses to fully acknowledge the effect she has on him.

He will, however, acknowledge that leaving Thailand currently ranks as one of his better decisions.

Especially when Bonnie kisses him again, and lets out a breathy moan right against his ear.

* * *

It's been less than a year, but Klaus has come to know Bonnie like he knows a nice glass of an old aged Kentucky Bourbon.

He knows she has the ability to pout until she can get him to make whatever she wants – her pursed lips are the sole responsible for him making her grilled cheese. He knows she resembles a cat when she's comfortable; all sprawled out on his lap and arms wrapped around him. He also knows she's become quite the chatterbox whenever they're like this; under the covers watching whatever dreadful show of her choosing.

In a usual day, she would be running color commentary while munching on the grilled cheese, and laughing whenever he grimaces and rolls his eyes at the sheer idiocy happening on the screen.

These moments, when she's so happy and so free around him, are some of his favorite. Perhaps that's why this silence, combined with the way she nips at her lower lip, makes him anxious.

He tries to let it go. After all, he hasn't seen her in a week – a long week – and he's spent the better part of the day in an airplane. There's a small chance that the lack of blood and exhaustion have contributed to him misreading the situation.

Then Bonnie glances up at him, with narrowed eyes as if she's trying to read his mind, and he just knows something's wrong.

"Alright, witch. Out with it. Tell me your darkest, deepest secrets," he says and feels somewhat nauseous when she looks up at him with nothing but hesitance painted on her face.

* * *

"Tell me, little witch, What's causing you to divert from your usual chatterbox behavior, which can be quite annoying, I must say."

Bonnie can't help but smile at his words as she rubs her eyes and thinks of the thick white envelope that's hidden in between some of her photography books.

"I didn't apply to Whitmore," she whispers, almost as if she's confessing to murder.

It should not that big of a deal, the fact that she didn't apply to a school she doesn't want to attend. But then she thinks about Caroline and Elena, and their unwavering excitement about their perfect college experience.

("We can get an off-campus apartment. I just saw the _perfect_ place for us! Or should we join a sorority? I don't know if I would want to rush, but honestly, what place wouldn't want us?" Caroline asks; a white smile brighter than a flawless diamond as she scribbles _Research sororities_ down on her notepad with a flowery calligraphy.

Sitting next to a beaming Elena, Bonnie feels trapped. She opens her mouth and for a moment, she thinks the words are about slip out.

 _I'm sorry, but I don't want that._

They don't. Bonnie coughs in an awkward way, sips on her sweet tea and doesn't say anything.

Keeps quiet when Caroline and Elena continue to discuss plans for the future and only pipes in when they stare at her in curiosity.)

Klaus chuckles and Bonnie raises an eyebrow. She doesn't know what she's expected, but a chuckle is not it. But then again, he's a thousand-year-old hybrid who's been through much worse problems than her teenage troubles.

"I didn't realize applying for Whitmore was the law of the land around here," he says; wants to laugh but doesn't because this seems important to her.

("I could've told you that teenagers have these pesky troubles, brother." Klaus can almost hear Kol telling him with a mocking smile.)

"It kind of is. Grams taught there, it's near Mystic Falls and Caroline has all of these plans for us," Bonnie lists the same reasons she's thought out for the past months when she tried to convince herself into sending her application.

"Love, I am sure Sheila doesn't care if you don't follow her footsteps. As for Caroline, I'm sure she'll be able to handle the separation anxiety."

"And will you?" Bonnie asks, eyes trained on him. "Handle separation anxiety, I mean."

The way the easy smile vanishes from his face would be funny if she **wasn't** so nervous.

"I got accepted to NYU and I want to go, Nik."

This is the first time Bonnie's said that out loud, the first time she's admitted her **latent desire** to go out and do something for herself. Something that will only be hers and will _not_ be linked to Caroline and Elena. It makes her feel a little guilty, the fact that she doesn't see herself in Mystic Falls with everyone else. And the terrifying thing?

The thought of leaving Nik behind.

It's been less than a year, but he's her soulmate and that doesn't feel like enough time. Only a lifetime is enough time.

* * *

"Oh, witch. Do you really believe an unexpected flight to New York will be enough to make me drop you? If I remember correctly, you happen to be my soulmate."

Unlike Bonnie's expected, he sounds confident and not even a little bothered with her confession. She's been expecting a more forceful reaction out of him. Maybe him to get upset that she's been planning a future located hundreds of miles away from Mystic Falls.

"Uh, what?" Bonnie sounds as confused as she feels.

"Why the surprised face, love? Haven't you realized by now the power you have over me?" Klaus asks as he pulls her close; until their noses are almost touching, until he's drunk off her scent.

It takes her a lot not to swoon, and a little more to understand what he's trying to say.

"You want to come to New York with me," she says slowly; a doubting tone clear in her voice. He chuckles.

"Why wouldn't I? Perhaps a change of scenery is in order. Getting out of this charming cow town sounds like a very good idea."

"Even if it means leaving your siblings behind?" Bonnie asks because both of them know _that_ is one complicated and crazy relationship.

"I would not leave _you_ behind," he murmurs, and it comes out like a promise. "Trust me, witch."

She does.

* * *

A year later, in a sweltering July summer day, after Bonnie's spent her freshman year in the dorms, she moves into the loft in Tribeca.

Bonnie unpacks their clothes on the ridiculous his and hers closet – seriously, how much did he pay for this place?. The comfortable and unfamiliar feeling of domesticity takes over her as she folds his shirts.

In the evening, they order Thai food and open a bottle of Don Pérignon. After four flutes, Bonnie feels tipsy, light and warm all at the same time. She drags him upstairs out on the terrace; sets up a Ray Charles playlist on her phone and makes him dance with her.

Klaus tries to refuse, but takes a look at her and finds himself powerless. They sway when the song is slow, she cheers and laughs when 'Hit the road, Jack' comes on.

"I love you, Nikki," she whispers; hands wrapped around his neck as 'Georgia on my mind' plays in the background.

He cups her face and leans down for a kiss.

"Wouldn't you know, little witch? I love you, too."

* * *

Later that night, Bonnie strips down to her dark purple lingerie – a cotton pair that could be considered plain, but it molds _so_ perfectly to her body – and jumps into the pool.

He jumps too after she pouts and pleads.

They make out until they lose track of time. Until the pads of her fingers are wrinkled. Until Klaus is certain this is the happiest he's ever been.

* * *

 **A/N: I know I said I had to work on Adventures, but this story just won't leave me! I've missed writing young Bonnie and Klaus and Bonnie being so in love with each other. As always, thank you all for your lovely reviews. Your support always makes me even more excited to write this story, as I love hearing your thoughts and your theories. I'm excited to write about Bonnie and Klaus trying to come together and figuring out what's best for themselves and Jules. Hope I'll be able to update soon!**


	15. paint the walls blue

Things move fast, but not fast enough, if you ask him.

He wants to go out there and walk until he's far away from New Orleans and standing next to her. He wants to have the unused, caked-with-dust room at the end of the hallway, prepared for his son. He's filled with an inexplicable, almost bizarre urge to paint the walls in a blue color and buy the most expensive crib he can find.

In the end, Klaus does none of those things. Despite every single instinct in his body telling him to take action and do _something_ , he listens to Camille and doesn't do anything drastic. He writes Bonnie, and can't help feeling like he's inhabiting an alternative reality as he types the words _custody_ _agreement_. He's a fucking hybrid, after all. Such words shouldn't be a part of his vocabulary, but there he is, sprouting off legal terms.

He feels stupid – like an ordinary, powerless man who isn't in control of his own faith. For so many years, he's strived not to be weak, and now he feels exactly like that. Small. Small and lost.

 _He's a father. There's a child out there with a collage of his and Bonnie's features. A child with small, chubby, hands and a bright smile is out there, learning how to walk and with no idea of his existence._ That's all he can think, all he's been thinking for the past hours.

His conversation with Camille was enlightening. Her ability to pull the chaotic mess out of his head and turnthem into orderly thoughts is just brilliant.

* * *

("Elijah says I shouldn't give her a choice, that my son should by my side," Klaus says, breaking the silence that's settled on her warm living room.

His voice is raspy from the lack of use and indiscriminate alcohol ingestion. Hours have passed since he first got there, the sky now painted in purple, orange and pink hues as the sun rises on the horizon.

"And what do _you_ think? I'm sure Elijah is just looking out for you, but you're the one who has to decide what's the best course of action."

Klaus snickers into the glass and drains the amber liquid. The best course of action? He can devise a swift plan to slaughter his enemies, and it would take him no more than a day. But this, mending broken hearts – including his own- and navigating through unbearable circumstances, is alien to him. He's never been the most competentwhen it comes to emotional matters.

"I do not know what I think, Camille. I have a child, but it hardly feels real. It feels…"

It feels like a very well constructed figment of his imagination. It feels like a dream, it feels like a nightmare. Klaus remembers longing for their child, a piece of him and Bonnie, but not in this manner. Their son was never supposed to be Bonnie's little secret, much like he was Esther's.

"Klaus, I don't think anyone would expect you to have your thoughts in order. Just a few weeks ago, the Strix managed to sever the link, which destabilized you. Then, out of nowhere, your soulmate appears in town and saves the day. And you found out you're a father. That's a lot to take in," she says. Weirdly enough, the patient, almost clinical tone of her voice proves to be soothing. "But sooner or later you will have to make a decision on whatever you want to do, and that's when the real work will begin."

He raises his head and arches an eyebrow at that.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, this may be your baby, but not where the law is concerned. And then there's the matter of custody," she rattles off and hesitates. "Assuming you do want some form of custody."

A jerky nod and a deep breath are his only response. None of that- custody and family law- makes any sense to him, but he _knows_ what he wants. His family by his side. Bonnie and Julian.

"Will you help me, Camille?")

* * *

Nobody's surprised when Cami agrees to accompany Klaus to Charleston two weeks later.

* * *

If Bonnie is to be honest, then she would have to admit that telling Klaus lifts a weight off her shoulders.

It was an utter clusterfuck, make no mistake about it. He accused her of lying about Julian's paternity to get back at him – a ridiculous theory- and all but summoned her to take their child to New Orleans.

But her awful nightmares – the one with Klaus standing over her with Teddy's blood staining his clothes being the most terrifying – have stopped.

She's grateful for that, even though she knows her personal drama is far from over. It's turned into a waiting game of some sorts.

Bonnie waits for Teddy to be done with his case in Atlanta so he can come back home.

(He still calls, asks about Julian; his voice suspiciously raspy every time he wishes her good night)

She's also come to wait for the inevitable sign from Klaus. It comes earlier than predicted and in an unexpected form. An email with simple, right to the point words. He sounds nice, way nicer than Bonnie would ever expect, but her heart jolts in an uncomfortable manner as she gets to the end of the email. Custody, visitation, him coming to Charleston.

It all sounds reasonable. They do need to have a mature conversation, and Bonnie knows she's not going to New Orleans anytime soon. Yet, having Klaus there when she doesn't even know where her life is headed makes it all real and _so_ terrifying.

 _I don't think that's a good idea,_ she begins to type and erases it a few seconds later. Fuck it. Everything's going to hell either way, so she might as well stop postponing it. _Okay. Let me know when you're in town._

Bonnie feels nauseous with anxiety for the rest of the day, and wonders if she made the right decision.

Later that day, Bonnie feels like shit, guilt eating at her. It feels like she's been living a secret life, going to New Orleans, telling Klaus about Julian. All without saying a word to Teddy. She's been trying to do her best to assure him that it wouldn't matter, that she doesn't care about blood ties.

And there she is, completely disregarding him, making everything worse.

Needless to say, that couldn't happen anymore. Bonnie may not know the fate of her marriage, but she won't be able to bear if Julian loses Teddy.

Besides, she needs him. Such a selfish thought of her part, Bonnie knows. She broke his heart, and yet, she yearns for his support, his presence. Honestly, she can't do this without Teddy.

So she swallows her pride, her fears, and fishes her phone from the bottom of her tote. It's weird, the way her hands tremble with anxiety as she hears the dial tone. Hearing his voice is nothing but comforting, though.

* * *

They settle on a quiet, little restaurant overlooking Cooper River as the location for their much-expected reunion. Even though Klaus preferred to have it at their townhouse, he relented after Bonnie set her foot down and refused to meet him there.

"You're nervous," Cami notes when she sees the slight tremble on the hand holding the glass of scotch.

Klaus doesn't say anything; refusing to show -again!- how much this is all getting to him. He's tired of feeling like a vulnerable, pathetic, little boy.

"Klaus, if you don't want to do this right now, if you need some more time, that's okay, too."

He snickers at her gentle, concerned tone. He appreciates it and despises it all at once.

"I want to settle this matter, Camille. As soon as possible," Klaus says as he reaches for his glass. He sounds focused, indifferent, perhaps a little cold. Both of them know that's the furthest from the true.

Inside, he's shaking, trembling with anticipation and fear. What if Bonnie decides he's not meant to be a father? She wouldn't be wrong, after all. His only father figure loathed him and he was feuding with Marcel, the person he raised as his own flesh and blood. Would he suffer the same fate with Julian?

* * *

Bonnie Bennett took his breath away for the first time when she chanted out a spell that almost killed him. He was blown away at her power then. A sixteen year should not have been able to leave a scratch, much less injure him.

Now, she takes his breath away by just being. She's his soulmate, the mother of his child. He reaches out for her the minute he sees her come through the door. It's instinctive, his motion. Almost as if he's drawn to her. It hasn't been long since he last saw her, but she looks different. Perhaps his eyes see her in a different light now that he knows she's a mother.

The whisper of a smile that settled on his lips at her sight vanishes completely when Klaus sees _him._

Such a poor replacement for himself. Not only was her husband a weak human, but an unrefined one to boot. And someone who clearly didn't know his rightful place.

Bonnie holds _his_ hand, looks at _him_ with doe eyes and offers _him_ a small, hesitant smile.

Klaus' blood boils at the sight of that. So far, he's lived with the bitter knowledge that Bonnie's been with another, but actually seeing her with her husband (the word burns him) affects Klaus more than he's ever anticipated.

Even though Klaus' eyes are fixed on nothing but Bonnie, he's able to catch the concerned glance Camille is giving him. He ignores it.

"Nice of you to join us, love," Klaus says; his eyes taking a predatory glint as he studies Teddy. Surprisingly, the other man stands tall and doesn't cower with the scrutiny.

This makes Klaus resent him even more.

"Now, shall we talk about _my_ son?"

* * *

 **A/N: So sorry for the wait, you guys! I've been crazy busy and I was hit by writer's block. This chapter is on the shorter side because I got a sudden rush of inspiration and wanted to put this out before I was hit again. I'm anxious to write more Bonnie and Klaus figuring this out, and daddy Klaus, of course, so hopefully I'll be able to update soon!**


	16. they can move mountains

False modesty aside, Bonnie Bennett just knows she's a stronger- both mentally and sometimes physically- person than most. After all, she had to be, considering she grew up in a small, nearly all-white Southern town, and, as a witch, she was the city's main line of defense against continuous supernatural threats.

She knows she's strong, but damn it if this isn't killing her. As strange as it may seem, most of her emotional traumas and heartbreak now pale in comparison to _this._ At least she wasn't the one responsible for all the mess, then. This time, it was all on her. On her and her inability to resist the bond.

What a fucked up mess. Even now, with Teddy right beside her, Bonnie can feel her heart racing whenever Klaus _looks_ at her, whenever she can smell just a hint of his cologne; citric with a touch of wood in it, so familiar and comforting.

She takes a small sip of the lemon water and wishes it was something stronger. Although Bonnie was not one to need liquid courage, she finds she desperately needs it at the moment, just so she can try and deal with her many conflicting emotions.

Sitting next to her, jaw painfully locked and both hands balled up in a fist, Teddy says something to counter whatever Nik muttered under his breath moments before. Honestly, Bonnie can't quite tell what either of them said in this particular exchange.

Yes, she agreed to this sit-down, perhaps because she hoped they would be able to reach an agreement in an amicable way. Most importantly, she thought she would be able to handle it.

She's beginning to think she was wrong, and maybe, just maybe, she's a little more fragile than she thought.

"You honestly expect us to concede to you having custody of our eleven-month child? Just like that?"

" _My_ child."

Their words get a little blurred inside Bonnie's head. It feels like she's underwater, perhaps inside a water tank, and watching Teddy and Klaus argue with each other through the glass. She knows she should be attempting to mediate this conversation, shouldn't let any of them come up with jabs to hurt the other. She should be controlling the conversation and reminding them the reason why they're all here: Julian.

In a perfect world, that's what she would be doing. But then again, in a perfect world, she would be either happy with Klaus in New Orleans or she would have her happily ever after with Teddy. This situation would never happen in a perfect world.

No, this is real life. And in real life, Bonnie realizes that she's closer to an emotional breakdown than she thought.

"You think you have the right to keep me from my child? This whole charade was merely a courtesy I was extending to my _soulmate_."

Klaus hisses out, Teddy seethes, and Bonnie feels way in over her head.

And naïve, so very naïve. She should have known Nik is still hurting and willing to lash out at Teddy.

This abrasive posture of his was to be expected. Klaus has always tried to hide his emotional injuries by attacking his perceived enemy until they are both covered with blood.

"You are _not_ going to threaten us," Bonnie mutters; both her voice and her hands trembling.

There's plenty Bonnie can take without feeling the need to hit back, but not when it comes to her son. No, when it comes to Julian, she will take it to the mat _every_ _single_ time, even if Nik is her opponent.

"I am not your little puppet, _love,"_ Klaus spits out. The word, usually so sweet and charming when it comes from his lips, sounds ugly in that moment. "You don't pull on my strings and expect me to be a good little boy."

Bonnie is a good reader when it comes to people. When it comes to Klaus, she could be a professional. Maybe it's the bond or just the many years of her life spent by his side. Whatever it is, Bonnie can tell he's hanging on by a thread. So is she.

"In what way am I treating you like a puppet? You're here, aren't you? We're sitting at this very table trying to discuss what's best."

"And you wish for me to be content with scraps! You expect to me to smile and be grateful I know what my son looks like while you raise him in my absence!" Klaus exclaims, and that quiet anger seems to be gone. Red face and furrowed brows; Klaus looks furious and about to explode.

In that moment, Bonnie feels something she hasn't experienced in years; not ever since she learned the meaning of the NM engraved on her skin. She is afraid of him.

("You will never have to fear me, love. My wrath is reserved for my enemies, for those who wish me ill. You are my little witch, my soulmate.")

Bonnie remembers his words, from so many years ago when she was just a teenager and how they used to comfort her, how they made her feel warm and giddy. Now, she just feels sick; heart pounding and lightheaded.

"I will not allow you to manipulate this until I am nothing but a distant thought in my son's life!" he bellows out, slamming both hands on the table. The silverware clatters, so loud that the few patrons in the dining room divert their attention to them.

Bonnie looks down; unable to keep staring at Klaus and his blue eyes. Flashing with fury and contempt, they remind Bonnie of her recent and terrifying nightmares. The rational part of her mind knows she's safe, knows that Klaus won't hurt her. Yet, the weight on her chest feels paralyzing. Whether it's fear or just plain heartbreak, Bonnie finds that she can't think or breathe anymore, not right now.

"You know what? I'm done," Bonnie announces; a little surprised that her voice sounds clear and firm.

"Bonnie," Teddy starts to say; his eyes pleading with her.

She's not surprised. Teddy may also be seething inside – Klaus does have the ability to bring the worst in other people- but he's always been sensible. His experience as a lawyer is probably conjuring up some plans and ideas to solve this.

In a way, she's a little envious of him, of his self-control. Setting all of her emotions aside and being able to just _talk_ to Klaus sounds like a dream.

However, in this bitter reality, Bonnie finds that she cannot separate her mind and her feelings when Klaus Mikaelson is involved.

"I just-" Bonnie murmurs, shaking her head. A look of disappointment flashes on his face, and it makes her feel like shit. She hates that Klaus is affecting her so much and hates that Teddy has to see it. Klaus may be her soulmate, but Teddy is her husband and she loves him. "I need some time, okay?"

Her legs are still shaky as Bonnie walks to the front exit, but at least she can breathe again.

* * *

He follows her without a second thought. Before his mind is allowed an opportunity to read the situation, his legs are moving. Klaus shouldn't be surprised. Bonnie has always commanded most of his actions. After all, she's his soulmate. A part of his own existence has been tied to her for as long as he can remember, so it's no wonder he's filled with the urge to see her, to hold her. As furious as he was with Bonnie, Klaus still can't help but berate himself for hurting her.

"What, Klaus?" Bonnie asks when he gets close to the concrete bench she's sitting on. She wipes her tears with the back of her hand and tries to hide it, but he _knows_. Years and years with Bonnie, he's learned how to read her.

The impetuous, still bitter side of Klaus wants to keep going and hurt her as much as he's hurting. That's his modus operandi; destroying whoever attempts to come for him. Seeing Bonnie look so small and broken stirs something else within him, though.

Klaus wants to take her in his arms and breathe her in. He wants to fix this mess and go back to when Bonnie was his, and his alone.

"Bonnie," he breathes out as he takes hesitant steps towards her. Bonnie inches away from him, in an almost imperceptible gesture. An ordinary human wouldn't notice, but he does.

A bitter taste fills his mouth as Klaus tries to ignore the sting of this subtle brush off. Dealing with rejection is one of his weaker points, and when it's delivered by his soulmate the wound is much deeper.

Letting out a sigh, Klaus starts to regret every single accusation he threw at Bonnie. As usual, he allowed his fury to run rampant; the urge to unleash was stronger than any rational thought in his mind.

"Oh, love," Klaus murmurs; lips curling in a small grin as they tend to do when he's around her. An involuntary reaction.

It's a bit of a relief when he sits down and Bonnie doesn't flinch. She doesn't show much of a reaction, but Klaus counts it as a small victory.

"Do you really think I would be capable of doing that? Keep you at arm's length when it comes to Jules? Try to manipulate everything until you give up?"

Her voice is small and tentative as if she's afraid of his answer. Knowing that his actions have messed with her head break him a little. Klaus may still be bitter about everything, but he knows hurting Bonnie is just like hurting himself. She's a part of him, the better part of him.

"Empty words uttered in a fit of anger, love," he admits, desperate to assure her. Master manipulator, his little witch is not. Even now he can see how this is eating at her.

A few yards before them, the river flows; displaying a calmness that Klaus longs for. For the first time in the day, he allows the familiarity to seep through his bones; so strong that it makes him want to cry. A few years ago, they were there, in this same restaurant. Sharing a plate of oysters and drinking mint juleps, they were so happy then.

"How did we get here?" he wonders; accidentally voicing the question that kept bouncing in his head.

At a certain point in their lives, they were so in love that the thought of being apart was short of psychologic torture for him. They built a home; their time in the townhouse with that ridiculous pink door was when he felt most human in his many years.

"You wanted a throne in New Orleans instead of being here with me, but we're still drawn to each other because of the bond, so we had sex and conceived a child. I think that sums it up, huh?" Bonnie answers; her blunt tone catching Klaus by surprise. Despite everything, he throws his head back and chuckles.

He wouldn't quite put it that way, but her account of their history is still accurate.

"I am fully aware of my mistakes, Bonnie. But you can't use our son to punish me for them," Klaus says; a pleading undertone to his voice. He is the last person who would resort to pleading, so it's surprising to him how little he cares. All he can think of is their son.

The one thing he never expected, never thought was possible is what consumes his every thought- day and night.

"After all we've been through, do you honestly think I would use Julian to punish you?" she asks; green eyes shining bright as she stares up at him with a wounded expression. The fragility radiating off her makes him feel like a prick.

"I have seen how this plays out, love. Do you believe your husband will be happy with my presence, a constant reminder of your infidelity?"

"We're not Esther and Mikael. Besides, you should know that blood is not what matters. Teddy's been there for every step of the way and he loves Jules as much I do."

It stings; to be reminded of the troubled history concerning his parentage. At the same time, it makes him wonder. Would things be different had Esther been more like Bonnie, willing to kill and be killed to protect him? Or perhaps if Mikael saw him as anything other than the product of his wife's infidelity, would he have spent most of his life running like a coward?

As much as he doesn't like Bonnie's husband- fuck, it even irks Klaus to put these two words together- the knowledge that his son won't suffer as much as he did brings him comfort.

"I need to see him, Bonnie. Knowing I have a son, but not seeing him kills me."

In any other situation, Klaus would have cursed himself for this display of weakness. He will overlook his obvious lack of control, though.

"I won't keep you from him, but we do need to work some things out first."

"We will," he vows; not the slightest doubt within him.

He is Klaus Mikaelson and she is Bonnie Bennett. Together they can move mountains. What is one more challenge to them?

* * *

A few hours later, Teddy finds himself at his usual place in downtown Charleston – a small bar with plenty of beer on tap and enough fried food to make him forget the shit show he witnessed.

Fucking soulmate bond. First, he lost Claire, leaving him with a faint scar and a gaping hole in his being. Then came Bonnie with green eyes and a bright crooked smile. Somehow, she made it all better. She made him want to live instead of simply existing, a truly impressive feat.

He was on a bent knee merely a year after their first date, and everything felt right in his life again. The elation Teddy experienced when he held Julian for the first time was like no other; his own love for Bonnie growing tenfold at that moment. He should've known it was all too good. Destiny was against them from the start. Higher mystical forces placed Bonnie with another man, so who is he to go against that?

Teddy doesn't know much about the soulmate bond, but he knows its strength and remembers the way it feels. That memory of how much he loved Claire is what keeps him from resenting Bonnie and the way she can't resist Klaus.

"You're Edward. Bonnie's husband, right?" A familiar blonde asks, and Teddy has to blink a few times to recognize her.

"You're the shrink from today."

"Yeah, my name is 0Camille. I saw you and just wanted to-"

"Wait, you're not here to analyze me or some crap like that, are you?"

"Uh, no. I heard good things about this place and figured it wouldn't hurt to get a drink, especially after all of that."

"You're right on that one," he agrees with a chuckle and gulps down the beer. The cold liquid is pleasant but does nothing to soothe him.

The thought of Bonnie and Klaus, looking so comfortable in each other's presence, is still embedded in his consciousness. Are they on borrowed time? It certainly feels like he's fighting a losing battle when it comes to his life with Bonnie.

"So, doc, what made you want to be that guy's therapist? He seemed like a dick."

"Klaus is a little eccentric, I'll give you that."

"That's one way to put it. So, doc, since you're already here and I need to think about anything other than my wife and her soulmate, why don't you grab a beer?"

"Uh, sure. A beer won't hurt, right?"

"Just no analyzing me, okay?" Teddy requests as he hands her a frozen glass filled with beer to the brim. "I already know I look like a pathetic fuck, sitting alone in a bar on a Tuesday. No need to get professional confirmation."

Camille laughs despite herself and takes a generous gulp.

"No judgment coming from this side."

"Cheers to that," he mumbles, clinking their glasses together.

It's weird how comfortable this setting feels, but Teddy doesn't have it in him to question it. He doesn't feel like complete shit for the first time in the day, so that's a win in his book.

Probably the only win in his book.

* * *

 **A/N: So yeah, I was supposed to update a long time ago, but real life happened. Sorry about that! I promise I have a plan, so don't be afraid. Klaus is trying to be better, but he's still Klaus. I thought Bonnie was quite fair, but let me know what you thought! Hope to update soon!**


	17. behind that pink door

After a miserable night filled with bottles of aged, blended malt scotch and dreadful shows on the television, Klaus is surprised when he wakes up at his usual time feeling none of the undesirable after effects that come with lack of sleep and excessive alcohol consumption. He suspects his unexpected pleasant mood is due to the brief but polite message Bonnie left him.

It's a little strange; the extent of the effect Bonnie has on him without even noticing. Just a few hours before Klaus was desolate and restless. Knowing Bonnie was married is one thing, but seeing her hand in hand with her husband hit him harder than he would like to admit. Now, after reading some measly words from her, Klaus feels rejuvenated.

 _You're right, this awkward thing can't keep going anymore. You're Jules' biological dad and you deserve to know him as well as I do. I just wished we could… it doesn't matter anymore. We can make this work, can't we? You said the townhouse is still yours. Maybe we can meet there today, at around two?_

His eyes scan Bonnie's message for the fouth time; a part of him searching for a coded message in her words. He can't find it. He can, however, see how troubled she was when she wrote this and it kills him. As much as it feels like he should be celebrating the demise of Bonnie's marriage, Klaus could never be capable of wishing her unhappiness. Her past was littered with so much heartbreak- some of his own doing- that seeing her hurt is akin to a blade piercing through his own skin.

He types his own reply, being careful not to sound too cavalier or too aggressive. It's a bit of a challenge, as he has never been one to conceal his emotions, not even when it comes to written words. The urge to unload what's been swirling in his mind is overwhelming. He wants to apologize, he wants to say he still loves her, he wants to write beautiful words and at the same time, he can't think of anything. Their fractured relationship deserves more than a few desperate words typed out in an anxious impulse.

No, Bonnie deserves much more than he could possibly give her, but he has to try. Even if nothing comes out of it, even if he and Bonnie cannot be together like they are meant to be, they have a son together. Everything else can collapse, but not this.

* * *

With shaky legs and a faster-than-usual heartbeat, Bonnie feels like a teenager sitting on the porch and waiting for her date to arrive. Actually, she feels like the seventeen year old version old of herself, when she was trying to figure out what the bond meant, trying to understand how Klaus Mikaelson, of all people, could be her soulmate.

This time, something much more important is on the line, making Bonnie second guess all of her decisions lately. At seventeen, she could afford to be selfish and immature, she could make mistakes. As an adult, she doesn't have the same privilege.

Every action has a consequence, Bonnie thinks with a sigh as the memory of her argument with Teddy comes to her. He's trying so hard to be understanding, even over his own feelings, that it makes her love him even more. This is the Teddy she loves; with his unexpected gentleness and quiet affection.

"The door will always open for you, remember?"

Klaus' voice startles Bonnie; causing her to take a few steps back. She glares at him and that oh, so charming smile of his. For a second, she has the urge to smile back, but her self-control is on point.

"You know, I've always hated that door," Klaus comments, shoving both hands into his pockets as he glances at the said door. This time, Bonnie can't help chuckling. "Of all the houses you could choose, you had to go and fall in love with this one."

(It really was love at first sight. They were walking down this same street after an early dinner. After a jar of sangria, she was giggling and could barely balance herself on her espadrilles.

"Nik, look!" Bonnie cried out, almost falling on the pavement as she turned around. He kept his hand steady on her waist, but she seemed oblivious to them. Her eyes were fixed on something else.

A goddamn light pink door that looked like it belonged on a Barbie house. Klaus thought it was absolutely ridiculous, but Bonnie seemed to be in love.

"It's for sale! We need to call the realtor!"

Her excited, drunken rant brought a smile to his face.

"You are lucky you're my soulmate, little witch.")

Bonnie feels warm from the memory. That day was so bright and happy for them, and now it feels like it belongs in a different lifetime.

"Why did you keep it, then?"

In a way, Bonnie expected Klaus to sell the place right after hearing she moved out. Not because he needed the money, that's never been his concern, but because she thought he would want to sever that link. The first house they've bought together, where they spent nights making plans for the future, laughing together and just loving each other.

There are too many memories attached to this townhouse, including their last night together when everything changed.

"This is yours too, Bonnie," he says with a shrug and Bonnie doesn't question him. He did the same with the apartment in Tribeca, refusing to part with the memories, even if they were bittersweet.

* * *

With a coffered white ceiling, dark hardwood floors and shuttered windows, the house looks the same as it did years ago. Even the small details, like the stack of her coffee table books, the teal colored throw pillows contrasting with the off-white couch, are still there. It even smells the same, Bonnie notices when she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Sandalwood with a citric hint of the blood oranges growing outside in the backyard.

Her stomach lurches as she remembers their lazy summer days when clothes were optional and they could do nothing but laugh.

"Being here after so long is…" Bonnie says, drifting off when she is unable to find the right word. Even processing her own feelings is proving to be a difficult task, especially when it comes to this house.

The last time Bonnie was there, Caroline was by her side as the two of them folded clothes and filled large suitcases. She had walked away from a part of herself and never looked back. Having to return in such an unceremoniously manner is a little unsettling. Just like that, Bonnie regrets having this stupid idea, regrets being in this house, surrounded by all of the memories.

For some reason, Bonnie can't help staring at the pictures on the mantel above the fireplace. Her eyes go to the one photo that shows Klaus with a big smile planted on his face, looking so happy and content. It's such a rare sight that her lips curl in a small grin.

The smile drops, replaced by a frown when she feels Klaus close to her. His breath is warm against the skin of her neck; the little hairs standing up. They've been in this position hundreds of times, there's a familiarity between them.

"You were resplendent that day," he comments; eyes focused on the same picture that caught Bonnie's attention.

"It was a good day," Bonnie says as she takes a step to put some distance between herself and Klaus.

Being so close to him is uncomfortable, with her mind so confused when it comes to Klaus. She wants to reminisce on those sweet memories. She wants to leave and never look back.

"Why do you try to distance yourself from me?" Klaus questions; a frown set on his face as he steps forward until their faces are inches apart.

"Because I'm married and I don't want to betray Teddy's trust again because nothing will come out of this."

Her words sound a little empty as if she's trying to convince herself more than anything else. She wonders if it's the bond, tightening its grip on her and exerting control.

"This? We are soulmates, Bonnie!" Klaus says; his blue eyes widening just a little. He looks truly surprised by what she just said. "Us being together is what's right, you can't deny that. Nothing you have with your little husband will come close."

The heat, doubt, and confusion that's filled her a few moments ago turn into something else. Bonnie feels hardened. Her hands are not trembling with anxiety. Anxiety caused by his closeness, his scent. Not anymore.

"If we are so right, written in the stars, why did you leave?" Bonnie asks; an arched eyebrow as she tries to remain calm and collected. Klaus takes a step back as if her pointed question hit him hard.

"You know why I left," he mumbles; voice a tad more aggressive than before. Maybe not aggressive, Bonnie thinks. He sounds defensive. "And I wanted you with me. If I am not mistaken, I gave you a ring and asked you to become my wife."

A sardonic laugh makes its way up her throat before Bonnie can't help it. If Klaus believes he can throw his piss poor proposal **in** her face, he's delusional.

"You asked me to be your wife? I remember you issuing me an ultimatum and the ring was just a way to soften it," Bonnie challenges.

Being there, in the very same room where everything happened, stirs something in her. Just like that, all of the painful memories that have been buried in the back of her mind come back in full force.

She remembers the way his expression softened as he slid the ring on her finger, the way her heart skipped a beat when she realized what was happening. She also remembers the way those same blue eyes flashed tawny as he got upset.

"I wanted you to be with me! Do you not understand that?"

There's no mumbling this time. Klaus booms, face red and looking like he's about to explode. Any other person would be a little frightened by that, but Bonnie is unfazed.

"How can I possibly understand that? You couldn't even tell me we were over to my face!" Bonnie cries out, teeth biting her bottom lip as she tries not to cry. Plenty of tears have been shed before, and she's tired of crying. "I came back home and you were gone. Can you imagine how I felt?"

These words leave her lips, and Bonnie immediately regrets them. This was supposed to be about them clearing the air before they got to the real hard custody agreement talk, not airing past grievances. She wanted to remain composed, but maybe it's time that they let everything out and just talk to each other. They've never been able to articulate their feelings in a proper way. Dancing around the subject has been their specialty, and perhaps the reason why they never had any form of closure.

"You looked so...disappointed," Klaus mutters; frowning when his voice comes out raspy. Bonnie can tell he doesn't want to show weakness, so much so that both of his hands are closed in a tight fist, physically fighting the urge to have a meltdown.

"Of course I was disappointed, Nik! Suddenly, our life here wasn't good enough for you anymore. I wasn't enough for you anymore."

Bonnie blinks and the tears fall down. She wipes them with the back of her hand, leaving the hem of her cream colored sweater with a big wet spot. Standing a few steps away from her, Klaus shakes his head.

"That is far from the truth, love. I guarantee it," Klaus says, figuring that the truth would be better than anything else. There is so much he wants to say, and yet, he feels paralyzed.

"Then why did you go to New Orleans like that? Why couldn't you have waited a few more hours to talk to me instead of bolting after I asked for some time to think?"

Her voice, so small and hurt a few moments ago, is inquisitive as Bonnie hits him the questions that have been haunting her for so long. Deep inside, she has an idea of why Klaus felt so compelled to act in the way he did, but she wants some confirmation.

"Because it's my city," he answers with a shrug and knows his explanation is not good enough when Bonnie gives him a little smile. A smile that doesn't reach her eyes and reflects how truly emotionally exhausted she is.

"Because you _needed_ people to know New Orleans is _your_ city. I should've known," Bonnie says with a shake of her head as she puts the pieces together. "You started acting differently after learning Marcel was alive and ruling the city."

Klaus avoids her gaze and Bonnie just knows her theory is right, that it's always been right. Fuck, she shouldn't be surprised. He may have her initials on his skin, but he's still Niklaus Mikaelson.

"I remember the way you talked about leaving New Orleans, how much you hated the fact that people saw you in a weak moment when you ran away from Mikael. You wanted that glorious return, you wanted everyone to know that the big bad hybrid isn't afraid of anything or anyone. And you needed that throne to prove it, didn't you? You couldn't have your own progeny being the king while you're on the outside looking in. Your decision was made before you even talked to me, wasn't it?"

"Love," Klaus says; sounding so miserable that Bonnie's eyes widen in surprise.

It's not too often that he lets his guard down. Displaying weaknesses is a big no-no in his opinion, something Bonnie's always tried to change, to no avail. Now that he's standing there, big blue eyes full of sorrow and guilt, she has no idea of what to do.

"This doesn't matter anymore," Bonnie says as she juts out her chin in confidence. It's not genuine confidence, as her eyes are still wet with tears and her throat is still filled with knots, but it will have to do for now. "I just needed to know."

In a way, Bonnie feels a little relieved to know she wasn't the one at fault. No words or actions would have changed the outcome of their relationship. It still hurt, though.

"If I could make time go back, I would never commit such a foolish decision, love. My place is by your side, Bonnie. It was foolish to think otherwise."

Her heart swells just like it did in all the other times Klaus declared his love for her. It's an involuntary reaction. A part of Bonnie feels like that seventeen-year-old girl finding love in her unexpected soulmate. That girl wants to fall back in his arms, forgive and forget. Adult Bonnie can only wish things were so easy.

"I know, Nik," she whispers after a long second, settling for that because no other words come to her.

Not even hybrids or witches can change the past, so it's best not to dwell on it.

* * *

In the end, Klaus wipes her tears like he used to do when she was younger and they talk. It's nice to talk to her again, no resentment, no pain.

The inquisitive side of him wants to know more about her life, if she's happy or if she thinks about him the way he thinks about her.

He doesn't ask anything, though. Bonnie's professed her loyalty to that husband of hers multiple times. He doubts she will suddenly confess her undying love for him. Especially after he admitted to being a selfish prick.

"What's he like?" Klaus asks, breaking the comfortable silence that has settled in the living room.

Sitting on the couch, bare feet and crossed legs, Bonnie can't help smiling at his hesitant question.

"Julian is beautiful, Nik. He toddles around everywhere and I go crazy following him, and he's such a sweet baby."

Her eyes shine with pure delight as she talks about their son, and Klaus falls in love with her all over. He conjures the image of a happy little boy, tiny hands, and chubby cheeks, laughing as he plays with Bonnie, and Klaus feels warm and content.

Klaus looks up when he senses Bonnie's gaze on him, studying him much like she used to do when they were together.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just weird. We spent years together believing we couldn't have children and then this happens when we're over. I guess timing was never our strongest suit."

"Do you regret it?" Klaus wonders out loud. He hates the way his stomach clenches in anticipation for her reply. Bonnie admitting she regrets the very night that derailed her entire life wouldn't be surprising, but it's not at all what he would like to hear.

"Despite everything, that night gave me Jules. I could never regret that."

Her answer, accompanied by a little smile, seems genuine. For that, he's thankful.

* * *

Seeing Bonnie's house- the one she shares with her husband- hits Klaus harder than he could ever expect. He knew it would be a place like this, in a quiet family-friendly neighborhood, with manicured, lush green lawn and a front porch complete with a swing chair. Yet, he can't help the uneasy sensation that fills him to the brim.

Perhaps uneasiness is not the adequate word. He feels envious of the life Bonnie's built without him. Her home is surrounded by peace and contentment while his is filled with treachery and animosity. It's never troubled him before, the knowledge that most people in New Orleans wish for nothing more than to see him dead. Now, he thinks of Marcel, Lucien, Aurora, the witches, and a bitter taste coats his mouth. He wonders if that's what regret tastes like.

A charming house with white picket fence, the sound of children laughing in the background as dogs barked and birds chirped away. Bonnie by his side, holding their son as they waited for him to come home. That could be his life, if not for his oversized ego.

How is it possible to feel so different? Years ago, the thought of living a domestic, quiet life was stifling. Klaus yearned for blood, for people to utter his name with pure fear and reverence. He's achieved that. The Quarter is under his control and, thanks to Bonnie, he's returned to being nearly invincible. Some pending matters remain, such as Lucien, Aurora and Tristan's whereabouts, but he's the king. He should want for nothing. Yet, Klaus finds that he also wants _this._

He soldiers on, ignoring the pain in his chest as he follows Bonnie into the house. Being there, in _their_ home together, is the last place he wishes to be. He feels like an intruder as he stares at pictures on the wall. A radiant Bonnie with her pregnant bump smiles down at him in one, while the other shows Julian in a gummy grin. He's missed so much.

"Come on, they're in the backyard," Bonnie murmurs as she shrugs out of her trench coat and kicks off the ballet flats.

Running a hand through his hair, Klaus gives her a tense nod. As much as he's longed for this moment, he doesn't feel quite prepared when he catches a glimpse of his son. For all of the bravado he's put on, he feels like the twelve-year-old version of himself. Hesitant and afraid.

This time, he doesn't fear a verbal lashing or a beating from Mikael. No, he's a grown man scared of what his future may hold. And scared of his own overwhelming emotions, he has to admit. He's the original hybrid, the king of New Orleans. He knows how to subdue a coven of witches, how to deal with the trouble that the Bayou wolves pose.

Yet, Klaus feels clueless as he lingers on the steps of the back porch. His entire existence has been condensed and it only consists of Bonnie and their son. Julian with those blue eyes that are so similar to his; light brown riotous curls and a pair of dimples framing a smile.

For the first time in years, his throne or his enemies have ceased to matter, becoming nothing but blurred spots when compared to the clear picture that Bonnie and Julian make.

* * *

 **A/N: Yay, the inspiration bug hit me so I was able to update faster. Klonnie week is coming, so I'll probably focus on my little** flufyf oneshots **, but I never know when inspiration will hit. I've figured the ending for this story, and I'm really excited to write it. There's no need to** worry, **because I do have a happy ending planned in my head. Of** course **it will be a bumpy road, as they've always wanted different things in life and now they have to find a consensus to raise their son. Let me know what you think, guys!**


	18. first step

In his humble opinion, Klaus Mikaelson has seen all the beauty this world has to offer. He's grown accustomed to it, after a thousand years. After all, what could be more exquisite than the works of Bernini and Leonardo da Vinci? Or perhaps the vision of the sun setting over the Adriatic Sea; the crystalline water colored by orange and purple hues? Yet, Klaus finds himself unprepared for the sight before him, which happens to be more stunning than any other he has witnessed.

The sight of Bonnie, his soulmate and love of his pitiful life, holding _their_ son is something he would have never expected to experience and it's overwhelming.

He's seen pictures. The first one, when the baby was a little red thing who couldn't have been bigger than both of his hands put together doesn't really count. At that time, Klaus was too distraught to notice the light brown wispy curls that escaped from his white hospital hat or to count the ten perfect fingers. Now, all he can do is stare in absolute awe.

How could such a pure creature have come from him? Klaus could see Bonnie creating a perfect little thing like that. Her heart is good and pure and her only flaw is probably loving him too much. Now, he is beyond any redemption. His hands are too tainted by blood and his past sins.

"Ma-ma!" the baby all but shrieks at the sight of Bonnie; his little legs carrying him as fast as they can in wobbling, uncertain steps.

Her face, screwed up in lines of anxiety before, show nothing but pure delight as she kneels on the floor and opens her arms to catch the toddling infant. It is such an intimate scene; a mother filled with love, that Klaus has to avert his eyes. For all of his desire to belong, he is all but an intruder. Bonnie is a natural, in a way that he's expected but still leaves him breathless and – he's ashamed to admit- somewhat envious.

How is he supposed to be a father with all of his history? Esther may have loved him in her own way, but she never tried to protect him from the abuse he suffered. And Mikael despised him, long before he discovered Esther's dirty little secret regarding his parentage. He's never loved anyone before he did Bonnie, and even that love was only born because of their bond.

The middle-aged woman with thick-rimmed black glasses and slicked back blond hair pulled in a tight ponytail– Julian's nanny, Leann, Klaus remembers Bonnie singing the woman's praises – gives him a thinly veiled look of contempt before walking back into the house. As much as he should not care about the opinion of a stranger, Klaus can't help but feel, again, like an intruder. The big bad wolf who came into town to ruin everyone's lives.

"I missed you so much, Jules," Bonnie whispers to the baby; her voice so soft against the cotton white fabric of his shirt that Klaus almost doesn't pick up the words.

His stomach – or is it his heart? – lurches in a rather painful way as he watches the scene, wishing he could feel like a part of them instead of a mere bystander. The nervous energy that Bonnie has been radiating in thick waves ever since they got in the car slowly dissipates as she rocks the little boy from side to side. Klaus drags the soles of his boots, hesitant to take a step further, yet incapable of standing still. As if Bonnie can read his mind – Klaus is sure she still can, even in the smallest of ways – she turns to him, giving him a hesitant smile; looking as if she will burst into tears at any moment.

"Look at him, Nik," she murmurs, not trusting her voice to say anything else.

It is almost as if she's back in the hospital after giving birth, showing off a red-faced squalling Julian. This time, it is not Teddy standing in front of her, clad in green hospital scrubs and big blue eyes moist with unshed tears. It is Klaus, who looks nothing like his confident self as he stares at them like they are a figment of his imagination.

A throaty chuckle makes its way out of his lips as he cradles the back of her head; gets closer and closer until their foreheads are touching, their breathing in synch.

"He is _perfect,_ love," Klaus breathes out, inhaling the sweet scent coming from the mop of curls on the top of his son's head. In that moment, he wishes he could bottle this exact scent, a mixture of baby powder and a hint of chamomile shampoo.

"Say hi, Jules," Bonnie prompts with a kiss on the crown of the baby's head; her eyes not once leaving Klaus'. There's something

Julian lifts his head from Bonnie's shoulder to stare at him with big round blue eyes before flashing him his tiny, white teeth. Klaus gasps; a keen sense of longing settling over him like a warm blanket as he cups the baby's pudgy cheek.

"I feel like I could be looking at my brother right now," Klaus murmurs; remembering the boy with wide blue eyes and the happiest, warmest smile he has ever known. "He looks just like Henrik."

The differences are there, of course. Henrik was as pale as the waxed moon, with hair as blonde as Rebekah's while Julian has inherited Bonnie's coloring. From an unsuspecting eye, they could not look any more different, but to Klaus, it is like staring at a window that looks into the past. And it hurts to think of who Henrik could be today, to wonder if their lives would be different had it not been for his tragic death. But there is Julian, and receiving a smile or an excited shriek from him dulls the pain of not having his sweet brother.

"I never wanted this," Klaus confesses with his head bowed down; lips curling into a faint smile when Julian's nimble fingers start playing with the edges of his leather jacket. "I never wanted to us to be apart, Bonnie. You are my life, the two of you."

Bonnie closes her eyes, teeth buried into her lower lips, looking as pained as he feels.

"Nik, please. You can't say these things," she pleads; sounding so fragile that Klaus worries she will collapse onto the grass beneath them. "Not while I'm a mess and everybody hates me."

"I don't hate you. I could never hate you, love," he pipes in, seeking to bring her even the smallest of comfort. Besides, his words are far from empty.

He's tried to hate her, to convince himself that she didn't return his love, that wanted nothing to do with him. The first attempt happened right after their night together in New York, when she rejected the ring he had carried for years and went on marrying another man. Then again when he found out her child was actually _theirs_. Time and time again, Klaus tried to rid himself of the bond, of the love he holds for her. And he has always failed. After all, Bonnie was a part of himself, sewn through the very fabric of his being.

"Everything is fucked up, Nik," she whispers, kissing the crown of Julian's head as she wills the tears to stop.

Maybe she shouldn't be so crude, but there was no other way to put it. Her relationship with Nik still consists of their old push and pull. She wants him but doesn't want his life.

She doesn't bloody battles with werewolves for territory, she wants nighttime stories with Julian. She wants life in Charleston as Bonnie; not life in New Orleans as Bonnie Bennett, a powerful witch from the Bennett line.

She wants Nik, but she wants Teddy, too. Damn, she's such a mess.

"If it is any consolation, I am quite familiar with fucked up situations, as you say. I will be more than happy to guide you through it," Klaus offers; wiping her tears with the back of his hand. "Let us bury the hatchet as they say and start anew. Our own little family."

If Bonnie wasn't holding the baby, she is certain she would be swooning. It's the mixture of his cologne, the clean scent coming from his leather jacket and his voice that does her in. For a second, Bonnie wants to say yes. Yes, she wants a family with him ever she was a junior in college and didn't even know they could have a baby.

Part of her wants to say yes, but not all of her. Even though Bonnie feels consumed by the strength of the bond, she knows she loves her husband just as hard. Teddy may not be her soulmate, his initials are not etched on her skin, but the thought of not having him in her life is almost like a nightmare. What she's built with Teddy is pure and genuine, and not even the soulmate bond and its overwhelming forces can make her forget that.

"I love Teddy, Nik," Bonnie whispers in a broken voice, rocking Julian as an attempt to soothe herself.

She looks at anywhere but him; prefers to stare at the grass instead of his eyes to avoid catching the glimpse of heartbreak in them. Not that it matters, though. Bonnie knows him well enough to hear his thoughts and feel his emotions without a single look.

"Sometimes," he starts to say; his voice choked up and has is forced to clear his throat. "Sometimes I wonder if you wish to punish me for my past deeds."

A sarcastic, humorless laugh comes out of her lips, and Bonnie is filled with an unhealthy amount of anger. Did he honestly look at their awful situation and saw it as part of her plot to get revenge?

"I told you before, Klaus. When you left, you hurt me. But you didn't break me. I learned how to love and how to be happy again. This is not me trying to punish you!"

He sighs; exhausted and feeling too much like a human. His mind is clouded and unable to process anything else. The power of the bond twists his insides, emotionally jostling him until he feels sick. The thought of loving someone other than Bonnie is so foreign to him that he can't quite understand her hesitation to leave her husband behind.

"Ma!" Julian cries out as he pulls a strand of her hair with a surprising amount of strength.

"No pulling, Jules!" she admonishes in a gentle tone; grateful for the distraction he's provided. Julian offers her a bright smile as an apology.

Weirdly enough, it reminds her of Klaus and the sheepish little grins he would throw her whenever he screwed up. Bonnie can't help but relax and even chuckle at that.

"The bond is strong, but this is stronger than anything. Julian is my life, Nik. I would never purposefully do something that hurts him for the long haul."

With the words caught up in his throat, Klaus can do little more than just staring at her with a mixture of admiration and some jealousy. Jealous of the bond that the two of them share, of the fierce love Bonnie holds for their son.

"If you expect me to go back to New Orleans and play second fiddle to your darling husband..."

Bonnie doesn't miss the way his words Surprisingly, his poisonous irritation doesn't faze her. Despite the bond and his love, Klaus holds a healthy amount of anger within him.

"I don't," Bonnie bites out with more irritation than she would like to display. She's frustrated, and after many sleepless nights, it's no surprise she's short on patience. Julian moves to rest his head on her shoulder, which elicits a sigh from her. "This, this isn't easy, Nik. I want to do the right thing, I promise you."

With all of her might, Bonnie wants to make the right decisions. Problem is, she has no idea of what is the right decision in this situation. Every single step she takes is bound to result in catastrophic consequences. No wonder she's been paralyzed for the past days.

"My biological father never attempted to find me and Mikael, the man who was supposed to be my father went on to despise me. I would rather burn down the Quarter than allow that same fate to befall Julian," Klaus finally says after a brief moment of silence.

Despite his words; dripping with contempt and a reminder of his traumatic past, Bonnie's lips curl into a small smile. Seeing his obvious love for Julian is enough to make her heart flutter in an unsteady beat. It's even enough for her to ignore the not so subtle dig towards Teddy.

"No need for arson, Klaus," Bonnie assures him and kisses Julian's chubby cheek for good measure. "Our little man will not have to deal with the same crap we had."

A warm, unfamiliar sensation spreads through him at hearing her say these words. _Our little man_. They've gone against all odds and created a person. His own family. Or at least they would be a proper family if Bonnie stopped being so stubborn and realized she was fighting the inevitable.

They are soulmates, and soulmates are not meant to be separated. He has learned it the hard way when he foolishly believed a crown would be enough to numb the pain of her absence. However, Klaus knows there is no point in trying to convince right now. His little witch is still too attached to the life she's built with the human to leave it behind.

No, if he really wants her back, he will have to be smart. His impetuous side will not do anymore.

"Contrary to popular belief, I do not enjoy ruining people's lives," he announces, prompting a chuckle from Bonnie.

"Your statement is reassuring, I guess," Bonnie comments with a hint of a smile and the same sarcasm he's come to miss. She moves the mop of curls on Julian's head that is blocking her vision and stares up; her eyes narrowing as if she is trying to figure him out. "What are you trying to say?"

"I have no wish to take a child from his mother's arms, love. I am aware my previous words sounded harsh, but-"

"I know, Nik," Bonnie interrupts with a gentle voice, wishing to relieve him of his discomfort. Her soulmate is addicted to control and even this small apology is hard for him. "It's probably time for his nap. How good are you with Dr. Seuss?"

The smile on his face is bright and so genuine that for a moment she is reminded of Julian's delighted expression.

"Not my specialty, but I suppose I can give it an effort."

* * *

 ** _A/N: Guys, I'm so sorry that it took me so long to update this! Just to make it up to you, I tried to give you lots of Klonnie goodies, and Klaus and Julian, as they begin to figure out what's going to happen in the future._**

 ** _For those who are following edge of a golden world, don't worry! I'm working on the next chapter now, and I hope to post it before the holidays! Let me know your thoughts!_**


	19. happiness

While a nice Kentucky Bourbon will always be his first choice of drink, Klaus appreciates the taste of the cognac as it coats his tongue. With a hint of sweet plums mixed with the spiciness of ginger, the drink is warm and comforting. Much like a certain witch with green eyes and his initials on her wrist. Being around Bonnie and their son– _son-_ he still feels that unfamiliar giddy sensation at the sound of that word–has left him in an emotional state that can only the Remy Martin Louis XIII bottle and the soft piano keys of the jazz piece playing in the background could cure.

"If you are interested in continuing to stare at me, I shall happily procure a portrait of myself, my dear Camille," Klaus says as he moves the glass on his hand ever so slightly; a small smile curling his lips.

Despite being used to his overly self-confident nature, Cami's pale cheeks flush pink; much like a teenager who got caught daydreaming about her crush of the week.

"Well, you can't blame for staring," she responds with a shrug of shoulders and takes a few steps to enter the study. "You've been MIA ever since we've met with Bonnie and her husband."

Not only that but in the last time Cami has seen Klaus, he was jittery, furious and filled with anxious energy. Now, Klaus seems to be the picture of quiet contemplation. Something just doesn't add up. She may not know Klaus Mikaelson for the longest of times, but Camille considers herself to be skilled in the art of observation. And after months of sessions, Cami knows there is no way he could go from one end of the spectrum to the other just like that.

"Should I worry about poor unsuspecting tourists that flock to the bars in Downtown Charleston?" Cami asks; cringing at the nonchalant tone of her voice when wondering about murder.

"Your lack of faith in me truly hurts my feelings, Camille. Not one of those pathetic stumbling drunks was injured by my hand," Klaus assures her as he takes another sip of the caramel-colored liquid; sighing in satisfaction.

"O-kay, as your therapist slash mediator slash babysitter, I kind of feel obligated to ask where you've been. Look, even if you don't believe it, you've made such great progress and -"

"I saw Julian," Klaus finally says; his lips curled in a small smirk when he realizes the unexpected words have shocked her into silence.

"You did? When? How are feeling?"

Despite years of college and reading countless books on the human psyche, Cami realizes her ability to put a coherent sentence together have deserted her. Given the way everything has happened, she did not expect Klaus to be having secret meetings with Bonnie, much less taking the huge step of meeting his son. But then again, Klaus Mikaelson remains an enigma to her, even after their weekly sessions. He may have been willing to unveil a part of himself concerning his past days of creating havoc and even the dysfunctional relationship he's had with his family, but Bonnie Bennett has always been a sore point.

Unsurprisingly to Cami, the prospect of discussing his current emotional state is enough to get him spooked. It is rather fascinating how he can close off with little of a warning. Just a slight hunch of shoulders and fingers gripping the crystal glass.

"It would seem that Bonnie and I are close to an agreement despite that dramatic reunion we staged earlier," Klaus tells her as he takes another sip of cognac; trying to ignore the slight tremble of his hand. "That's good."

"That's good?" Cami echoes his words in a disbelieving tone. Out of everything she could expect Klaus to say, a simple _that's good_ does not rank high on the list.

"Yes, that is a perfectly appropriate way to describe the situation, Camille."

"Can't you see it?" Camille asks as she takes a seat on the plush armchair right across from his own; unconsciously putting on the figurative therapist hat. "You just met your son, a child you've never believed you could have, a child with your soulmate, and you are acting like it's no big deal."

Legs crossed; an ankle over his right knee, Klaus does little to hide his displeasure at the direction this conversation is headed. His scoff may be ill-mannered, but he hopes it will discourage Camille from pushing this. No wonder vampires turn their emotions off. Experiencing those feelings is rather exhausting and at this point, he would rather fight two of Marcel's armies than continue to feel this way.

"Is this an impromptu little therapy session, Camille?" he questions; the tone sweet and yet laced with poison.

"Yes, Klaus, it is. And I don't care if you try to convince me seeing your son hasn't shaken you to the core. We both know better."

For a fraction of a second, Camille regrets the bluntness in her words, but then she remembers who she's talking to. Even though Klaus is far more fragile than anyone can imagine, the walls he's built around himself are ancient and too resilient. She must throw a stone in order to get that first hairline crack.

"What would you have me do, Camille? Admit my own weaknesses to you repeatedly?"

"I would like you to be honest," she says, and bringing a hand to swipe the hair out of her face, she tries to conceal a sigh of frustration. "You asked me to come with, to help you become a better person. There is no point in wearing the mask of the big bad hybrid in here."

"Oh, Camille. What you do not understand is that it is not a mask I wear. It is what I am."

Standing in that house - the home that Bonnie's created with _her_ husband, a place filled with family portraits, random knickknacks and the purest form of warmth he's ever felt–brought him the realization. He is that. The ruthless hybrid who kills for sport, who would not hesitate to slaughter an entire army of vampires to conquer a city and get revenge. Julian, however, is everything he's not. So innocent, pure and filled with unbridled joy.

"Klaus," Cami says; her voice taking on a patient tone this time as she struggles to keep a neutral expression on her face. "Last time I've checked, big bad hybrids don't go to therapy or try to get custody of their child. Is that what you fear? That you being a hybrid will have a negative impact on Julian's life?"

"He has my eyes. Henrik's eyes," Klaus mutters as the image of Julian's big blue eyes, framed by brown, thick eyelashes comes to his mind. His son is just like his brother was, perfect and with a sunny smile. "I do not want Julian to suffer the same faith as him. I will not allow that to happen."

He is just too afraid that he will fail Julian as he did Henrik.

* * *

 _What a difference two months could make,_ Bonnie thinks with dismay as she takes a sip of the warm peppermint tea, hoping that it will settle the anxious butterflies in her stomach.

On a usual Saturday night, their two-story house would be filled with laughter, music or the sounds of a baseball game playing on the television. Teddy, who has always been more proficient in the kitchen than her, would light up the grill outside to cook steaks and they would have drinks (beer for him and a small glass of red wine for her) after putting Julian down.

There is none of that today. No game playing on television, no squabbling with Teddy over grilled avocados on the salad (he loved them, she hated them) or Justin Verlander (she loved him while he couldn't stand him). Tonight the only sound filling the family room comes from old Project Runway episodes she's been watching while eating bland popcorn.

"You got him to sleep," Bonnie says in a grateful tone when she sees his figure enter the room; tousled sandy blonde hair, less-than-groomed beard and wearing his favorite navy blue Georgetown Law sweater. Heavens, how is she supposed to carry on a conversation when the mere sight of him broke her heart?

Teddy offers a curt nod as he stuffs both hands down his jeans and Bonnie realizes they are both doing a weird dance. Neither of them aware of how to properly follow the choreography. She wants to reach out and hug him, to say she's sorry for everything. Teddy wants to accept that, to kiss her on the forehead as he did Julian a few minutes ago and just to forgive her. But he can't.

"Jules' missed you," Bonnie whispers after another grueling moment of awkward silence. The _as did I i_ s not uttered but clear in the way her green eyes–bright with unshed tears-look up at him. "We haven't heard from you in two days."

Despite the small flash of satisfaction that runs through Teddy when he sees that she is as wrecked as he is, he also feels guilty. It may not be his blood running in Julian's veins, but the love he bears that boy is just as strong now as it was at the moment his trembling hands cut his umbilical cord.

"I never meant to disappear like that, I just couldn't…" Teddy trails off; a frown on his face as he can't bring himself to say the words.

"You couldn't be here around me," she finishes his sentence, trying to ignore the painful churning of her stomach. "You're here now, though. That has to mean something, right?"

"It means I've realized I can't just crash on Ashley's couch and pretend I'm his roommate anymore," he says and squeezes both eyes shut just so he doesn't have to look at her face. Fuck, how can she mess with his head with just one look, one blink of those big, green eyes? "And I.."

"And you…" she prompts with a broken whisper; terrified of what he is about to say.

"God, Bonnie, you know you're my life, both of you," Teddy says as he remembers the way this woman entered his life and changed everything. "And I knew you had a soulmate, and I didn't care because you chose me, you were with me. But seeing you with him the other day was just so fucking devastating."

"Teddy."

His name - the name she usually utters in loving whispers or breathy chuckles - comes out in a pathetic pleading.

"The way you looked at each other; a bomb could go off and you would be none the wiser."

Teddy winces when he remembers that scene back in the restaurant; a couple filled with pain but still breathing in unison, lost in a reality of their own. A reality he would never be allowed in.

"I could play pretend when he was far away. I could try to compete with a memory, but to have him here? I can't do that, Bon."

Blood rushes to her head; legs trembling and tiny black dots appearing on her vision. Bonnie's tried to imagine how this conversation would go, to prepare herself for this. All in vain. Everything hurts, and she's not ready for this. As selfish as it, she's not ready to let him go, but what can she say?

"It's not a competition, Teddy," she assures him; overcome with the urge to take him in her arms.

"You're right, it's not. I've already lost. He is your soulmate, Bonnie."

There it is, the one fact he didn't want to face. The realization he can fight for Bonnie until his hands are a bloody mess and he will still lose; that Bonnie can't be entirely his because a part of her already belongs to Klaus Mikaelson.

"He was my soulmate years ago when you proposed and I said yes, and when I said I do. The soulmate bond doesn't have me hostage, Teddy!" Bonnie cries out; her raspy voice becoming louder. She closes the distance between them and stands less than a foot away from him. "I have my free will, I fought for that because I wanted to be with you!"

"And I want to be with you, Bonnie! I would love to wake up and pretend this was nothing but a nightmare, but we can't," Teddy says, moving closer to her until he can feel her breath on his face. Warm and pepperminty. "I would try to move on and it would work for a few months. Then I would wonder if you're thinking about him to the point of obsession. We would hate each other in the end."

Bonnie loops her arms his waist, holding him close and breathing him in. There's so much she wants to say, and yet the words are too jumbled up in her head to make any sense. The words come out in the form of tears; soaking through his sweater. After almost a month of trying to place everything together, of trying to put reason over her own feelings, Bonnie can feel every single emotion in her body come to the surface.

"I wish things could have been different," she says in between quiet sniffles. "I wish you could have been my happily ever after."

"So do I, sweets," Teddy whispers, trying his best to rein in the tears.

Bonnie's been his life for the past three years. Jules, his heart. Fuck the soulmate bond. It broke him years ago when Claire passed away and now it's shattering him again.

"What now? Do we need to discuss divorce proceedings? Because I really don't want to do that," Bonnie confesses as she takes a step back; hesitant and almost afraid of his answer.

"Afraid I'll take you to court for alimony?" Teddy asks with that crooked smile of his, making Bonnie release a wet chuckle.

"Afraid I won't ever see you again."

She knows how unfair it is; to break his heart, her vows and expect him to be around. It is such a selfish move, but she doesn't care. If Teddy can still stand to coexist with her after everything, she will gladly take it.

"You don't have to worry about that, sweets," Teddy answers, a little surprised by the sincerity in his tone. "I know he's not my biological son, but…"

"I know, Teddy," she murmurs; a hand on his cheek and understanding clear in her voice.

* * *

"You're here," Klaus says; part of him wondering if spending the better part of the afternoon drinking Bourbon is interfering with his eyesight. Surely the vision of Bonnie and a sleeping Julian, standing in his suite, is not real. It doesn't feel real.

"I'm here," she confirms with a little nod as she shifts her weight from one leather boot to another, feeling unsure of herself. How can it be? Nik is her soulmate, he's been the _one_ certainty in her life before Jules. Why are her legs trembling now? "You were right."

"While I appreciate the sentiment of you admitting that, what brought this on?" Klaus asks as soon as he gets over his shock; walking down the room to reach her without a second thought. She is there; Julian makes their bond even stronger. How can her not want to be closer?

"You're Jules' dad and I want you to be here," she explains; looking down at their interlaced fingers and wondering how that happened. "I want you to teach him how to be mischievous despite my best judgment."

"Is that so?" Klaus wonders; the corners of his lips curling upwards as he envisions the future she's offering him. It is a small piece of paradise, a tangible chance to get back what he's lost. "Did I finally wear you down, love?"

His tone is charming as usual, and for a moment Bonnie wants nothing but to give in and follow his plan blindly. For just one moment. Reality settles quickly, washing away any kind of deluded plans that have been brewing in her mind.

"You should be around Jules, but I can't go to New Orleans."

In a quiet yet dramatic fashion, Klaus lets go of her hand, and Bonnie can see his blue eyes flashing amber for a second. The discontented wolf ready to protest his wishes being defied. Any other person would have backed down, but seeing a glimpse of his hidden nature only strengthens Bonnie's resolve.

"You know as well as I do that city is a battleground. Just a few weeks ago you were a sitting duck, ready to be taken down by one of your countless enemies," Bonnie reminds him, perhaps a little harsher than necessary, eager to drive home the point.

The fantasy of them settling down in that idyllic plantation house of his, slaying enemies and then coming home to their child, the fantasy of them as Queen and King is just that. A fantasy.

"And just like a knight in your white armor, you came in to rescue me. It took five witches to do what you were able to do in a single evening," Klaus says; a hint of admiration tinting his tone. How can he not admire her? Bonnie is the most powerful witch he's known, and she is his.

"But I don't want to have to keep saving you! I don't want to worry about the Strix or the werewolves threatening your life and using Julian to get what they want!" Bonnie cries out; fear, exhaustion, and frustration all swirling inside. "Besides, it may surprise you, but I actually have a life here."

Despite her firm stance, it takes a lot out of Bonnie to ignore the bond's most basic instinct. Surrendering herself to Nik. Perhaps if there was no Julian, no motherly instinct to overcome the bond, she would have said yes. But this is where they are, and even though Nik is her soulmate, Julian will always be her priority.

"How much I despise your stubborn nature," Klaus murmurs, offering her such a sweet little grin it disarms Bonnie right away. Having to contend with Nik's anger was expected. His resignation, however, is stunning.

"You wouldn't love me if I wasn't stubborn," she says, bringing a hand to cup his cheek. An action so familiar to her she thinks nothing of it. "We'll be okay, I promise."

"Even though I do not understand how to be a father?" Klaus wonders; a keen and foreign sense of vulnerability overtaking him. His sweet witch is nothing but patient, though, taking his hand in hers just like she used to do years ago and she wanted to bring him some comfort.

"You'll learn just like I'm learning," Bonnie assures him before placing a small kiss on the back of his hand; an unspoken promise of sorts. "If the job of ruling New Orleans gives you a break, come back in a weekend and we can take Jules to the pumpkin patch. God, that sounds like a horrible plan, doesn't it?"

"No, no, no," Klaus rushes to say in an equally anxious and grating tone, one that is so unfamiliar to him, he wonders if that is truly his voice. Perhaps the adorable manner in which Bonnie crinkles her nose and shakes her head is the cause. "Nothing horrible about it."

* * *

And it is indeed far from horrible, Klaus realizes a week later as he watches Julian toddle around with his little uncertain, chubby legs. In any other time, he would have found this scene off-putting. A place crawling with riotous young children is usually somewhere he does _not_ wish to be.

And yet, Klaus realizes that _this_ makes him happy. Hearing Julian's shriek of delight as Bonnie chases him is what's right.

He should have known it wouldn't last.

* * *

A/N: I am baaack! This story was never abandoned, but I have no organization, too many ideas and that combination is not good, you guys! Regarding the little situation I had, all I have to say is: if you're not feeling the story, you don't have to keep reading it. If you decide to keep reading it, don't proceed to shit on every single aspect of the story.

That said, I have to give a huge shoutout to my Klonnie fam! Don't worry, I promise I am working on an update. Let me know what you think of this chapter and please forgive me for this looong hiatus!


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